■ The Croydon Area Gay Society stall at Brighton Pride 2006. Photo courtesy CAGS

LONDON, November 22, 2006  –  Croydon Area Gay Society (CAGS) has reported a dramatic increase in its membership – current numbers are up 35 per cent on the same time a year ago.

“It’s very encouraging that we are increasing our numbers at a time when a number of groups have been struggling,” commented David Page, chair of CAGS.

“I’m particularly happy that we’ve increased our female membership.

“We’re now the only voluntary group serving lesbian and gay people in the Croydon area, and aim to provide a welcoming and supportive environment, particularly for those lesbian and gay people who are not keen on the commercial gay scene. We’re planning a number of new activities during the winter months, to ensure that our new members get their money’s worth,” he said.

Ross Burgess, the membership secretary, said that some of the group’s new members have come from the Croydon LGBT Forum, which closed during the summer.

“But we’ve also attracted new people from various other sources, including our very successful tennis group, our presence at Pride festivals in London and Brighton, social events such as parties and days out, and particularly by word of mouth.

“We’re still far from reflecting the makeup of Croydon’s gay community as a whole, and would very much welcome more women, more young people, and more people from ethnic minorities.”

■ Anyone interested in hearing more about CAGS  should telephone David on 0208 686 1550 or Geoff on 0208 651 0292.  Information is also available on the CAGS website.