We are thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded a grant of £450,000, over 5-years, from The National Lottery Community Fund for our LGBTQ+ Voice and Influence project. This funding will allow us to develop and deliver a series of actions and projects which reflect the needs of the LGBTQ+ communities in the South and West of England regions.
The Diversity Trust centres lived experience in everything we do, platforming voices that are often marginalised and forgotten, and enriching the outcomes of our work with relevant and authentic input. This work will be done with the support of people from within the LGBTQ+ community and executed by a team of dedicated staff, all of whom are LGBTQ+ themselves, with intersectional experience and a wealth of skills developed through working with the local communities.
This incredible backing will allow us to expand our work across the region.
This project aims to:
- develop and strengthen the infrastructure of local LGBTQ+ networks and organisations
- increase the voice, influence, and representation of local LGBTQ+ people
- create meaningful volunteering opportunities for LGBTQ+ people and our allies
- increase the offer of safe community spaces.
Through this work, we’ll be enhancing and developing LGBTQ+ Equality Networks in each of the proposed areas including:
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
We will work closely with existing groups and networks in each local area to support the development of the LGBTQ+ sector as a whole.
This funding will also allow us to grow our team by hiring additional team members. Keep a watch on our social media as we’ll be recruiting for these new roles in the coming months.
“We’re so grateful for this opportunity to expand our work. During a time when the LGBTQ+ community, especially our Trans & Non-Binary communities, are being frequently ostracised by inflammatory rhetoric in public discourse and in the media, this funding and faith in our organisation is both powerful and humbling.” – Mark Greenburgh, Chair of the Diversity Trust
“SARI has been working closely with the Diversity Trust, over the last 12-years, on a wide range of projects to advance the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ people across the region. We know that wherever they are present they bring their expertise, alongside their lived experience, in everything they do. Working in partnership is at the core of the Diversity Trust’s mission and vision – to create a fairer and safer society. We look forward to strengthening our partnership for the future in advancing the rights and championing the voices of our regions LGBTQ+ communities.” – Alex Raikes MBE DL, Chief Executive of Stand Against Racism and Inequality
Thank you to the National Lottery players!