UK Government unites with LGBT charities to address inequalities

The UK’s Government Equalities Office (GEO) has brought together leading voices from LGBT organisations to celebrate the work being done in the third sector, as well as address the inequalities. “LGBT charities in the UK provide a range of exceptional respectful and supportive services. It’s vital their huge efforts in support of the LGBT community are recognised,” stated the Minister for Equalities, Baroness Williams of Trafford, at the two-day Leadership Summit, which started yesterday.

The conference, organised at the beginning of LGBT History Month in the UK “provides an excellent opportunity for LGBT Leaders to share what works and what doesn’t”, according to Baroness Williams.

Speaking at the summit opening, she acknowledged that there’s still much to do to address the inequalities that still exist in the UK, particularly in the areas of health, education and safety. She believes the LGBT Action Plan, which was published by the GEO in July 2018, contains an important set of commitments that can help towards achieving this goal.

FUNDING COMMITMENT

The summit aims to improve the financial sustainability and operational effectiveness of organisations in the third sector, of which 41% are dependent on central government funding. As one of the commitments made in the government’s 2018 LGBT Action Plan, the Government has invested £200,000 to deliver training to LGBT+ organisations, and £400,000 in the Futures Fund for voluntary and community groups across the UK.

The £400,000 LGBT Futures Fund has already provided support to 66 projects in the LGBT sector. This funding has allowed disabled people to fully participate at BiPride, with the addition of wheelchair charge points and sign language interpreters. It has also been used to address LGBT mental health and social isolation through inclusive and diverse events around Manchester, and has elevated underrepresented voices in other communities, such as Brighton.

The scheme, however, goes further than just funding, according to Baroness Williams: “It is designed to build skills and provide tools to drive sustainability and resilience within the sector, through training programmes and mentoring. Those aspects are absolutely crucial. Training is as diverse as ‘how to write a successful funding bid’, ‘funding core costs’, and how to better improve inclusion of trans and disabled members of the community.”

COLLABORATION & PARTNERSHIP

This summit aims to promote collaboration and partnership by bringing together the leaders and trailblazers of the LGBT sector all in one place. LGBT Foundation, Stonewall and Consortium are hosting workshops on Leadership and Representation, Effective Voice and Lobbying, and Organisational Sustainability over the two-day summit. “We hope that this summit will lead to new collaborations and new partnerships between like-minded groups, that amplify your message and impact, and to see the sector as a resource unto itself,” she stated.

A third of the plan’s commitments have been delivered to date, particularly in relation to health, confirmed Baroness Williams. The results include the falling rate of new HIV transmissions in England, which has dropped by 73% for gay and bisexual men since 2014.

ENDING INEQUALITY

The Government is also investing in improving services for the future, to empower healthcare professionals to deliver ‘the best possible care’ for LGBT patients. These cover complex but also crucial issues, from mental health to suicide prevention, to meeting the sexual health and reproductive needs of LGBT patients, and ensuring adequate care is available to older LGBT people. “There is much to celebrate,” she added. “But there is also so much to do. I feel privileged, as Minister for Equalities, to have an opportunity to effect change in the lives of LGBT people. I am committed to ensuring that LGBT people feel safe and valued within society – afforded the same protections and respect that others take for granted.”

The Government and the LGBT sector must continue to work together in not only delivering the Action Plan commitments, but in ending inequality, concluded Baroness Williams: “This summit is an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones, to encounter new ideas and perspectives, to enhance your organisation’s reach and ambition. But most importantly of all, to use your leadership and insight to help us to build a better society for everyone. The Government remains committed to supporting you in realising a society where safety, opportunity, and respect are no longer privileges to be fought for, but a reality for all.”