Mr Leather UK 2017 IML Travel Fund
Donation protected
Having just won Mr Leather UK 2017, I'm proud to have been able to share my message of solidarity within our community. My mantra has been dare to be different, be happy in the skin you're in and remember that even though leather may be on the outside, it's the leatherman on the inside that counts.
The leather community has been there for me when I first came out into the leather community in October 2015 and when my husband of 15 years suddenly passed away two months later, it was the leather community that stepped up when many of my own friends stepped away. A week before my husband passed away, I was nominated as hunk of the week at The Eagle, Vauxhall. He made a joke that I'd be entering Mr Leather UK next and a few months later found me nervously entering the competition in his memory and was surprised to come second! Behind the scenes no one really knew what I was going through and it took me a long time to be open and tell people what had happened. 2016 was dedicated to him and I decided that I would enter the competition in 2017 for myself - to be a role model for the next generation of leather men and show that leather exists throughout the UK and not just in the cities.
My husband and I believed that as a community, we are the shoulders that the next generation needs to stand on and I want to show them what the leather community has taught me over the last year.
My next challenge is to enter IML and bring the title back to the UK. Chicago is 3707 miles away and as it turns out is expensive to get to so I'm asking for any support you can offer to help get me to Chicago.
Having worked out the costs of flights and accommodation, I need to raise £1500 to get me to IML - but I also want to raise money for three good causes that I will be highlighting during my title year - I have very personal reasons for doing so:
1. The Albert Kennedy Trust: I was homeless once and I was very lucky to fall on my feet - sadly there are those that are not that lucky
2. GMFA: GMFA are doing great work surrounding Chem Sex
3. In conjunction with the Reading Pride charity, we have established a local trust named after my late husband that aims to support young people in schools who identify themselves as LGBT and creating a peer network for them.
I know how I would feel if I saw a page like this given the state of the world these days so I feel embarrassed to start a fundraising campaign. But any support you can offer would be really appreciated. Potential sponsors are welcome to contact me!
The leather community has been there for me when I first came out into the leather community in October 2015 and when my husband of 15 years suddenly passed away two months later, it was the leather community that stepped up when many of my own friends stepped away. A week before my husband passed away, I was nominated as hunk of the week at The Eagle, Vauxhall. He made a joke that I'd be entering Mr Leather UK next and a few months later found me nervously entering the competition in his memory and was surprised to come second! Behind the scenes no one really knew what I was going through and it took me a long time to be open and tell people what had happened. 2016 was dedicated to him and I decided that I would enter the competition in 2017 for myself - to be a role model for the next generation of leather men and show that leather exists throughout the UK and not just in the cities.
My husband and I believed that as a community, we are the shoulders that the next generation needs to stand on and I want to show them what the leather community has taught me over the last year.
My next challenge is to enter IML and bring the title back to the UK. Chicago is 3707 miles away and as it turns out is expensive to get to so I'm asking for any support you can offer to help get me to Chicago.
Having worked out the costs of flights and accommodation, I need to raise £1500 to get me to IML - but I also want to raise money for three good causes that I will be highlighting during my title year - I have very personal reasons for doing so:
1. The Albert Kennedy Trust: I was homeless once and I was very lucky to fall on my feet - sadly there are those that are not that lucky
2. GMFA: GMFA are doing great work surrounding Chem Sex
3. In conjunction with the Reading Pride charity, we have established a local trust named after my late husband that aims to support young people in schools who identify themselves as LGBT and creating a peer network for them.
I know how I would feel if I saw a page like this given the state of the world these days so I feel embarrassed to start a fundraising campaign. But any support you can offer would be really appreciated. Potential sponsors are welcome to contact me!
Organizer
James Leatherlad
Organizer