WHERE WE ARE NOW?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on society as a whole and a profound impact on the LGBT+ community. Loneliness and isolation are even harder to deal with if you don’t feel safe, or if you feel like you can’t be your authentic self. 

The pandemic has also been incredibly difficult for us as an organisation. Our core purpose as a charity is all about:

• bringing people together, 
• providing safe spaces for fun, culture and activism 
• celebrating the very best of our community
• amplifying the voices of community groups and individuals

This has been incredibly difficult to do over the last 2 years, but we’ve achieved a lot in difficult circumstances, including: 

• Hosting two online March With Pride events with over 2 million people’s  reach and submissions from organisations and individuals across the whole City Region.
• Establishing our Community Panel, a group of community voices providing a place for consultation on activities and policies. 
• Launching our Community Fund, providing £20k of grant funding to individuals and grassroots community groups to carry out projects in their local area. 
• Supporting Cheshire and Merseyside Adult Gender Identity Collaborative (CMAGIC) in the development and delivery of their specialist Gender Identity Clinic pilot and counselling services in Cheshire and Wirral.
• Bringing together community groups, MPs and Political Leaders to lobby on changes to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) and other legislative issues. 
• Assumed custodianship of the NAVAJO Chartermark, with a view to diversify, grow and develop the grass-roots initiative to benefit more employers across the region,
• Developing and Delivering the ‘You’re Safe Here’ safe spaces programme and training funded by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner to create safe spaces across the Liverpool City Region
• A continuing partnership with Homotopia and Liverpool City Council in response to a series of hate crime incidents in 2021. 

We’re immensely proud of what we’ve achieved in recent years, but we’re only just getting started.

WHERE WE’RE GOING

The Foundation continues to grow and develop and is entering our most ambitious phase yet. We are developing a 10-year strategy that will ensure we are fit for the future and continue to deliver on the needs of our communities for the next decade and beyond. 

Our priorities over the next few years include:

• • Doing More Across the Region: Embarking on new projects, events and collaborations in each of the boroughs of LCR.
  • Coming back with a bang: Ensuring a safe, fun and ambitious return to physical events post-covid, ensuring we have a vibrant and diverse offer across the City Region.
  • From Now On: Embedding Community Activism in everything we do going forward and providing support, resources and solidarity to grassroots organisations and individuals. 
  • Fit for the Future: Embedding financial resilience and high standards of governance to ensure the organisation has the resources it needs and manages them appropriately. 
  • Bringing people together: Working closely in partnership with other organisations to amplify the voices and impact of LGBT+ charities and voluntary organisations.
  • Doing things differently: Seeking out new sources of income, through grant applications, tendering and developing social enterprises and other commercial activity. 
  • Understanding our community: Researching, engaging and listening to voices across the Liverpool City Region and using our influence to make change and improve people’s lives.

This is an incredibly exciting time to be involved in the organisation, but if we’re to achieve the goals we set ourselves, then we need your help!