In what will be seen as a significant end of year boost to the local LGBT and HIV voluntary sector, the Rainbow Fund has announced its autumn grants round, giving out over £46,000 in grants to the community groups who need it most locally.
Brighton Pride made a significant donation to the fund of over £43,000, raised through ring-fenced funding of £1 per ticket and their general fundraising, making this the biggest Rainbow Fund grants round ever.
Paul Kemp, Pride Director, said: “A vibrant voluntary sector is essential for all communities to develop. I hope that these grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations providing front-line services to the community will enable them to continue to make the lives of LGBT people in Brighton & Hove much easier.”
Funding for more projects
The Rainbow Fund has continued funding some of its core groups, including Allsorts for its trans youth work; Lunch Positive for its volunteer-led lunch project; the LGBT Community Safety Forum for its advocacy work with victims of hate crime; and Brighton GEMS, the Gay Elderly Men’s Society. However, the increase in the funding donated this year means that the Rainbow Fund is also funding new groups and projects for the first time. The Clare Project is being funded for its work on speech therapy and psychotherapy with trans people; Peer Action will receive a large grant for its health and wellbeing activities for people living with HIV; and a new housing advice project from MindOut will receive support in addition to its mental health service.
Subject to final agreement by Sussex Community Foundation and any grant conditions, the approved grants are:
• Allsorts – £5,000 for a youth engagement worker to support the Transformer group for young Trans* people
• Clare Project – £4,640 to extend for psychotherapy and speech therapy sessions for Trans* people
• Brighton GEMS – £4,000 towards support costs for befriending & support work for older gay men
• LGBT Community Safety Forum – £7,000 towards hate crime advocacy
• LGBT Switchboard – £2,500 towards clinical supervision for counsellors
• Lunch Positive – £7,000 towards food, venue hire and lunch club running costs for people with HIV
• MindOut – £7,000 towards peer support groups and housing advice for people with mental health issues
• Peer Action – £5,000 for health and wellbeing activities for those living with HIV
• Sussex Beacon – £4,000 towards a new occupational therapy project
The remaining funds were earmarked for a feasibility study to develop a funding needs assessment of all LGBT organisations, the services they provide and their future grant needs.
Priority for local LGBT groups & frontline services
Paul Elgood, Chairman of the Rainbow Fund, said: “I would like to thank the many fundraisers who made these grants possible. In particular the support from Pride can be seen directly benefitting the local LGBT and HIV voluntary sector. The Rainbow Fund offers an independent and needs-led mechanism to ensure that the funds donated go out to the local causes who need it the most.
“We are here predominately for the volunteer-led LGBT and HIV community groups and charities, providing front-line support. They are our highest priority and this is reflected in many of the grants that we have made.
“We are delighted to be supporting new groups and projects this time; including the Clare Project, who work with people exploring their gender identity, and a new project on housing support from MindOut.
“We do not directly fundraise ourselves but rely on groups, individuals and businesses who support us through high profile events and fundraising in LGBT venues. “We can’t support every group who applies, every time, but in this grants round we have literally spent every penny we are currently holding, and so we will be asking for the support of the community again next year. I would also like to thank the independent advisory grants panel for their time and expertise once again.”
Local LGBT Fundraising
The Rainbow Fund autumn 2013 grants round is made possible thanks to fundraising from: Brighton Pride, Brighton Bear Weekender, Legends, Tony Chapman, Queen’s Arms, A Bar, Charles Street, David Raven, James Ledward, the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and many others.
David Harvie, of the Brighton Bear Weekender, concluded saying: “From us here at Brighton Bear Weekender, we are so glad to lend our support to the Rainbow Fund. We love how the fund works to help all parts of the gay community in and around Brighton & Hove.
“We know the Rainbow Fund will use the money to help fund vital services and programs that are so needed and greatly help our community, whether the money we raised is used to help raise awareness of HIV or help people living with it.”
The Rainbow Fund provides grant funding to the local LGBT voluntary sector. It does not fundraise directly but benefits from a number of high profile events and activities. There are no salaries, expenses or office hire costs associated with the fund, except in terms of the professional advice it receives in terms of administrating the fund by the Sussex Community Foundation. All panel members are volunteers and give their time freely.
To find out more about the work of the Rainbow Fund, CLICK HERE:
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