SPROCKET TRUST: est. 1995
(A Discretionary Beneficial Trust)
1995: Lidbury & his partner Andrew Smith drew up terms with Nalder & Sons solicitors for ‘The Sprocket Trust’. An HIV/AIDS & equality discretionary beneficial trust fund. The trust named after Andrews former pet dog ‘Sprocket’. Andrew, terminally ill was concerned as to what would become of his various other pets after he died. Dogs Pickles, Jazzy & CeeJay, & cats Timmy & Kizzie.
‘Sprocket the dog’ (painting by Lidbury)
The primary objectives of the Sprocket Trust;-
- To help provide care to Andrews pet cats & dogs after Andy died
- To raise awareness & challenge discrimination & prejudice towards both HIV/AIDS sufferers & LGBT persons.
April 1996: Malcolm and Andrew publicly contributed taking part visibly & featuring in an HIV/AIDS documentary made by West-country television ‘Days of Judgment’ about HIV/AIDS in the south west of England. At the time it was publicly dangerous to be open with both ones gay sexuality and his partner Andy’s HIV/AIDS status in Cornwall.
Letter from Charlotte Fisher Documentary Producer Westcountry Television
Letter from Charlotte Fisher Documentary Producer Westcountry Television
Pickles, one of Andy’s dogs cared for by the Sprocket Trust for the remainder of her life.
May 96 West Briton 'Going Walkies'
Jun 96 Packet newspaper article 'Pickles goes walkies'
There was open hostility & prejudice towards Lidbury & Smith campaigning to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in some quarters of the Cornwall LGBT community, general population & discriminatory authorities, in particular Cornwall Social Services & Police.
Jun 96: There were those who were very supportive to Andy. In particular Andy’s family, Nursing staff Treliske Hospital ICU, Cornwall AIDS Council, Cornwall GU Clinic, District Nurse staff, Veor Surgery Camborne, Women’s Acorn Group, RAIN Trust volunteers, Body Positive Somerset & others
There were some LGBT persons in Cornwall far less supportive & did not approve of raised awareness or openness about gay life in Cornwall or Andy living openly with HIV/AIDS. Whilst attending the local gay club (Op’s Room) to promote the ‘Sprocket Trust’, Andrew, blind & frail, was jostled, punched & even spat upon by some from within the Cornwall gay population.
Incensed by the prejudicial & discriminatory attitude of some in the LGBT population of Cornwall towards Andy & his HIV+ status, Lidbury during making a local radio broadcast he referred to the ability to "prove the gentic make up of some gay people in Cornwall by the yellow streak where their spines should have been" .
June 1996: Pink Paper June 96 'Cornish pasted for £2 raised'
Andy & Lidbury visited Bethany Trust, an HIV/AIDS retreat in Bodmin. Being an open gay couple Bethany Trust, a Catholic run institution did not suit Lidbury & Smith at all. Andy & Malcolm were not willing to be appologetic for being gay & being in a happy, loving relationship. They fortunately found genuine support for gay people with Stewart & his happy gang of BodyPositive Somerset. The BPS retreats quite precious.
Lidbury painting on BPS retreat Dartmoor of Andy after he’d gone blind.
Lidbury sketch painting of BPS retreat on Dartmoor 1996 (& Andy’s pet dogs Jazzy & Pickles went on retreat too)
Lidbury not one to be idle organised and ran art & craft classes on the BPS retreats. Happy people left retreats with bamboo windchimes, kites, & gaint origami toads they had made. Not to mention the swimming pool Lidbury stocked with inflated rubber swords, mallets, clubs & axes, with which spectacular water battles ensued amongst the HIV+ positive & other retreat guests.
Somewhere there exists a video made for the Bishop of Taunton patron of BPS of people on the BPS retreat blowing up the bums of gaint origami paper toads to inflate them. Stewart branded the Lidbury craft sessions as 'BPS toad rimming classes'.
Aug 96; West Briton item 'Clary accepts trust patronage'
NB: Since 2007 The Sprocket Trust has supported the making of over 100 videos raising awareness & challenging discrimination.
Mch 2015: These videos had received over 3.5 million views on youtube alone. The figure would have exceeded 4 million views however a court gagging order (2013) obtained via civil court action against Lidbury (Trustee of the Sprocket Trust) forced removal of a number of LGBT awareness videos. Pink Pasty Youtube Channel
