New Year Greetings 2012
Dear Friends of Pan Idræt
Thank you for your support during a great 2011 – we are looking forward to an even better 2012!
It has been a fantastic year for us with our club buzzing with new ideas and projects. We have never before had so many people involved – both members and external partners.
Pan Idræt 2.0
Call it the ”reset button” if you like – we are in the middle of a major process to relaunch Pan Idræt. The Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association (DGI) has given us a lot of help including running a ”vision day” for around 20 members to brainstorm for new ideas. There was no shortage of them, and they are all being processed into among other things a new structure and new ways of working together between the different sports sections.
Tournaments
Several of our sports sections held tournaments, including Volleyball and Waterpolo. Around 100 of us went to Eurogames in Rotterdam and in 2012 we expect a large contingent at Eurogames in Budapest.
It is the first time the event is being held in Eastern Europe and we are giving financial support in the form of travel costs for one of the former directors of World Outgames Copenhagen. Thorbjørn, who was Head of Security, has already made his first trip to Hungary to advise about venues and talk to local officials.
AXGIL 2012
We are very proud to have entered into a multi-year agreement to sponsor the sports award at the annual LGBT awards ceremony held by Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLcc). The event has been renamed in honour of Axel and Egil Axgil, the first couple in the world to have a registered partnership back in 1989. Egil died in 1995, and Axel died just a couple of months ago aged 96.
The sports award will be known as the Pan Idræt Sportsprisen.
We are very pleased to be able to contribute to our wider local LGBT community in this way and want to thank our friends at CGLcc for their support.
Politics, politics....
After Copenhagen hosted the World Outgames in 2009, there was a small profit of around € 200.000. Local politicians decided it should be used to start a cultural centre for the LGBT community - but can't seem to agree on exactly how that will happen. The third proposal sent by us and all the other major LGBT organisations in the city was, to our surprise, rejected in November, so we are back to the drawing board. Fingers crossed that the politicians will agree soon.
But on a positive note, the former CEO of World Outgames, Uffe Elbæk, was not only elected to parliament a couple of months ago, he was also appointed Minister of Culture! Congratulations once again, Uffe!
New sports
Did we say Hockey? Yes, we did – and quite a lot of existing and new members asked ”when?”
So now we have Hockey in Pan!
EGLSF Outreach
As a large and successful club we felt it was time to make a significant contribution to EGLSF's Outreach programme. The money will be used in 2012 to help participants from Eastern Europe. We have donated €700 on top of our normal membership fee.
Pan Health
We have received a nice Christmas present from the health department of the City of Copenhagen: fifty thousand kroner (nearly € 7000) to use on supporting our new programme about health for gays & lesbians. We are working with the local AIDS organisation who have recently started to widen their scope to general health from just being about HIV and AIDS. Surveys show some horrifying statistics: gay men over 45 are the most at risk of suicide and poor general health - a situation we think we can help improve with campaigns and activities. Work starts in January.
The boring bit - we have changed our address
No, we haven't moved - just changed our registered address so that all mail goes straight to our accountant - Pan Idræt, c/o Contar Regnskab, Rolighedsvej 11 - 1, 1958 Frederiksberg C. Email: finans@panidraet.dk - please update your records!
And now the really exciting bit - Pan Games 2014
In 2014 we have a very special milestone to celebrate – Pan Idræt will be 30 years old. Founded back in the days when gay men were unwelcome in mainstream clubs because of fears about AIDS, we have most certainly shown that a problem can be turned into an opportunity.
So how are we going to celebrate? A sports club has to hold a sports tournament, of course!
We are talking to the city about dates but it looks like August 2014 is when it will happen. Several other LGBT organisations in Copenhagen want to join in – so maybe there’ll be some gay or lesbian films to watch in the park, or some debates about human rights too. We hope so! Of course, we will make sure the dates don’t clash with Gay Games in Cleveland at all.
On behalf of Pan Idræt’s Board we wish you and your families a Happy New Year!
Paul Brummitt Mads Kildegaard Larsen
Chairman Vice-chairman