At spring conference, Fraser Graham organised trans pride coloured stall mascots for most stalls in the exhibition hall. This was very popular, with many stall holders bonding with their beasties and most of them finding forever homes at the end of conference.

Following the success of the various yarn beasties at Harrogate, several people asked us if we were planning on repeating it at Bournemouth next September. We are hoping the answer will be “yes, and…”

Yes, and we’d like a calmer crafting experience.

Yes, and now we know people want them, we can be clearer about expectations.

Yes, and we’d like to be able to represent a variety of communities under the plus umbrella.

This last effort was organised in 3 weeks, in secret and at least 40% as a joke. Several of the beasties were items the creators (or original owners) would’ve been sad to lose, including some people’s first ever projects. We no longer have those logistical limitations.

So, if you’d like to help, we need:

Crafters

We need people to make them. Not huge numbers, but the more crafters we have the less effort each crafter will have to make for a given size of impact. Even one or 2 items is one or 2 more at conference. or one or 2 less that those of us taking the lead feel we have to make to fill our target, whatever that may be this time.

We would strongly prefer crafters who are happy for their project not to come back to them. It’s not hugely complicated to keep track of beasties whose creators really want them back, but it would be a calmer experience for the organisers if crafters exclusively donated beasties they were OK with being rehomed.

While most of the Harrogate beasties were crochet, any crafting method that produces a physical thing that could be a stall mascot is welcome.

Host families

Not all of the crafters of the Harrogate beasties attended the conference. Not all were even party members. If you are coming to Bournemouth and you drive, pack light or live locally, would you be able to receive a package and bring it to conference on a non-attending crafter’s behalf? If so, email [email protected] with “beastie host family” in the subject line.

Flags & species

While trans issues have dominated plus’s efforts for the past 5 years or so for obvious reasons, we would love to show love and solidarity to many communities under the LGBT+ umbrella. Especially as we are at least as sick as everyone else must be of the trans community (and their access to medical care, legal rights and basic human dignity) being used as a political football.

We recommend our crafters pick one or 2 of the lesser-spotted pride flags. This is to reduce the number of separate colours you will need to buy. A handy spreadsheet with many pride flags can be found here.

All species would be appreciated. However, if you struggle with having too many options and would like recommendations, here are some animals that have been observed forming same sex pair bonding, here are some animals where biological sex is something other than “there are 2 options generally determined by chromosomes” and here are some used as symbols by various communities.

* Jude Parker is a Lib Dem member based in London.