A warm welcome to the December edition of our Newsletter!
Read on for news from the Sector, our Members and the Consortium Team.
Consortium will be closed between the
22nd December - 2nd January.
Sector News
EHRC Review by Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions
The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANRHI) has launched a special review of the EHRC. This comes after several LGBT+ charities issued concerns over the institution which were described as "falling short" over recommendations around its independence and effectiveness in its work involving LGBT+ people and collaboration with LGBT+ organisations.
Consortium News
We wanted to welcome all of our new members who have joined Consortium this month!
To get the most out of your membership, why not book in a welcome meeting to find out about all of the membership benefits and how to access support.
We have three exciting opportunities to join the Consortium team!
Grants Officer - This role will be accountable for ensuring our grant making processes are run effectively, are equitable and that our Community Panellists are supported to make informed decision about each application.
LGBT+ Fund Development Manager - This will involve a broad range of exciting work, including working in partnership with other parts of both Consortium and the wider LGBT+ sector to develop relationships with new funders, explore pitches to corporates and build the structures for a new individual giving.
London Engagement Officer - This is a great opportunity to work with our London team and support our London membership, making sure our work always has an intersectional focus!
We offer monthly online support sessions for our members covering a range of topics:
Fundraising/Grant Applications: Wednesday 24th January, 12pm-1pm
Governance: Wednesday 28th February, 12pm-1pm
Back to Basics - Community Groups 101:
Wednesday 27th March, 12pm-1pm
These will be surgery-style sessions for folks to bring their questions to the Consortium team. Please indicate the nature of your query in the sign-up form.
For Trans Awareness Week, 18 of our trans and non-binary led member groups took part in our online showcase!
The work of these small, grassroots groups is vital to our trans and non-binary communities, but often goes unrecognised. Our online showcase was a brilliant way to uplift trans and non-binary voices and hold space for community, joy and celebration.
Alongside the showcase of the incredible work of our trans and non-binary led members, we’re also running a fundraising campaign to inspire support for our future grant-giving.
Here is a summary of news from our Members over the last month.
Trans Secret Santa UK - Think2Speak
Trans Secret Santa: Bringing Joy to Trans Young People
Think2Speak have teamed up with campaigner Jude Guaitamacchi, artist Mister Samo and patron Octavian Starr to spread Christmas cheer to trans youth across the country.
Inspired by Trans Santa in the US, we have made it our mission to help bring joy to a particularly vulnerable group of young people. It’s been a really difficult year for the trans community in the UK, especially for trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people.
All the money raised will be used to fund sending secret santa cards and gift bundles to trans young people in the UK. The more money raised, the better the parcels will be. Gifts are available for young people in the UK age 25 and under. Parcels will be despatched by Royal Mail.
Trans+ History Week - A QueerAF Launchpad Project
Trans+ History Week is a reflective period to learn and celebrate the momentous and millennia-old history of transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse and intersex people with content, events and exhibitions.
The project is a QueerAF launchpad project. The non-profit publisher, which is an incubator of queer creative talent, will support the Trans+ creative leading the initiative to set up Trans+ History Week as a separate social enterprise to ensure its activity benefits the community and it has an enduring legacy.
We’re proud to be an official Supporter of Trans+ History Week – a QueerAF launchpad project which takes place 06 – 12 May next year. #THW24 #TransHistoryWeek
Gendered Intelligence is a national trans-led charity working to improve the lives of trans people across the UK. We are looking for new brilliant volunteers to support our 8 - 25 years old youth groups for trans and gender-diverse young people. These groups provide essential spaces for our young people to socialise, have fun and get the support they need in London, Leeds and online.
We ask that our youth work volunteers identify as trans, non-binary, gender-diverse or gender questioning. Please note, that we'll be prioritising applications from trans and gender diverse people of colour and trans feminine people to specifically support our transfemme and tpoc youth groups.
Do you know about the recent changes to voting rights? All voters are now required to present accepted photo Voter ID at polling stations. This has huge implications for parts of the queer community. @lgbthero.org.uk is running workshops for any London-based professionals that work with LGBTQ+ people.
After attending Supporting LGBTQ+ Voters you will become an expert in:
● Changes to election law brought about by the Elections Act (2022)
● How this affects LGBTQ+ people (especially trans people and younger groups)
● Effective routes to engage service users and prepare them to vote It's vital that no LGBTQ+ votes are lost because of these changes to voting rights.
With the London Mayoral Elections going ahead in May 2024, now is the perfect time to take part.
Opening Doors London - Emergency Appeal
At Opening Doors, we are dedicated to enriching the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals aged 50 and above. Membership of Opening Doors is not just free; it’s an open invitation to anyone over 50 who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, non-binary, or gender-fluid. By becoming a member, you join a network of like-minded individuals who share in the joys of camaraderie, friendship, and social inclusion.
I would like to introduce myself I am the new CEO – Bridget Symonds. Today, I write to you with a heavy heart, but also with unwavering hope.
Having joined just eight weeks ago as CEO I wish I could reach out to you under brighter circumstances, but the reality is that Opening Doors is facing a crisis that we can only overcome with your help. We need to raise £120,000 by spring next year, or we face the unthinkable – the possibility of closing down entirely. The vital lifeline we offer to older LGBTQ+ people hangs in the balance, so we’re reaching out to see if you might be able to support us?
We understand that these are challenging times for everyone, and I don’t make this request lightly. Your support is a lifeline, not just for us, but for the countless older LGBTQ+ pioneers who depend on us. The future of Opening Doors depends on our collective commitment, and together, we can ensure that our doors remain open for those who need us the most.
You can support us by donating on our Emergency Appeal and sharing the Emergency Appeal on your social media platforms. Any help you can provide would be warmly appreciated.
Being Ready: Trans and Gender Diverse Experiences of Dying, Death and Bereavement
Project Lead: Ash Hayhurst
Email: being.ready@gires.org.uk
The ‘Being Ready’ project was set up to address the needs of trans and gender diverse people during all stages of dying, death and bereavement. We are creating evidence-based training for professionals who work with the dead, dying or bereaved so they are ready to meet everyone’s needs, and be more trans and gender diverse inclusive.
The Being Ready Project’s evidence-based training for professionals is now open for booking.
This unique training was developed to help professionals address the needs of trans and gender diverse people during all stages of death, dying and bereavement.
We’ve built an interactive training around the experiences of trans and gender diverse people, and have been guided by what death dying and bereavement professionals told us they wanted to learn more about.
We’re excited to announce that Angie McLachlan has built two bespoke Ichabodies – death dummies™ to demonstrate compassionate, appropriate care for trans and gender diverse people who have died. Using their stories we will illustrate the challenges and barriers they face, and what good care looks like.
We love to hear from our Members about the great work they are doing and we can help get the word out by sharing it via our Newsletter and social media.
If you are a Member and you have a press release or announcement you'd like to share with us, then please get in touch by clicking on the button below.
