You Helped Us Raise £450 For LGBT Foundation!

You Helped Us Raise £450 For LGBT Foundation!

If you didn’t know already, here at Joshua Lloyd we love giving back to the community wherever possible. In addition to providing an awesome safe space community, alongside related news, blogs and entertainment, we also donate regularly to LGBTQ+ charities and organisations through the Joshua Lloyd Charity Association. 

We’re proud to announce that we’ve just raised even more vital funds for our corporate charity partner LGBT Foundation and could not have done it without all of your amazing love and support!

The £450 raised for LGBT Foundation helps them continue to provide the vital support required by LGBTQ+ people, especially throughout these very difficult and uncertain times. 

LGBT Foundation Joshua Lloyd

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We spoke with Faye Li, Corporate Partnerships Co-ordinator at LGBT Foundation to highlight how the money raised will help their efforts in providing support to those in need and to provide further information on all the hard work the team provide at the LGBT Foundation, whilst also highlighting ways in which you can help support them….

Joshua Lloyd LGBT Foundation

Tell us a little bit about LGBT Foundation and its history

At LGBT Foundation we have a rich and passionate history of grassroots activism and community involvement, with a track record dating back to 1975. As the needs of LGBT people have changed so have we, responding to an evolving landscape as well as to changes to health and support needs.

LGBT Foundation formed out of the merger of two community groups, both initially serving LGBT people in Manchester:

Manchester Lesbian & Gay Switchboard Services (MLGSS) began life in 1975. Following the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, six gay men came together in a back bedroom to provide an information and support service for the growing number of men starting to come out. To this day, the Helpline remains a vital part of the Foundation’s work, delivered by both staff and trained volunteers.

In 1994, our current Chief Executive Paul Martin OBE became one of the founder members of Healthy Gay Manchester, having arrived in Manchester in 1989. The charity was formed in response to the HIV epidemic and was dedicated to improving sexual health amongst gay and bi men.

In April 2000 the two charities merged, becoming the UK’s largest health and community charity for LGBT people, yet retained its community activism origins. In 2015 we became fully trans inclusive and changed our name to LGBT Foundation!

What services does LGBT Foundation offer?

LGBT Foundation delivers a wide range of services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities. We provide a variety of services, such as counselling, sexual health testing, domestic abuse support, social and support groups, drugs and alcohol support interventions, community safety initiatives, and befriending. In addition, we provide tailored programmes of support for lesbian and bisexual women, gay and bi men, queer people of colour, trans and non-binary people, in light of the specific needs of these communities.

Aside from our services, we also do research and policy campaigning, and deliver organisational training as we work towards creating a fairer and equal society for all LGBT people.

How have you found it working alongside Joshua Lloyd?

Working with Joshua Lloyd has been brilliant – it is abundantly clear that the founder, Joshua, is committed to making their products and services as inclusive as possible. Equality and diversity is genuinely embedded at the heart of the organisation. Although the Label is still a relatively new company, the fact that it is quickly gaining recognition for its gender-neutral product range speaks to Joshua Lloyd’s commitment to LGBT communities

How can people reach out and get help with LGBT Foundation?

Our helpline provides thousands of hours of support and advice to thousands of people every year, many who feel like they have nowhere else to turn. The helpline has been running for 45 years, and is staffed by a team of dedicated staff and volunteer operators all of whom receive extensive training and support.

We are here to offer support and advice on a range of topics, including coming out; isolation; hate crime and discrimination; mental health; sexual orientation and gender identity; and much, much more. We’re also able to provide information about our services, including referrals, and signposting to local organisations.

Although we donate directly to LGBT Foundation, how can others donate directly themselves?

People can head right onto our donation page at lgbt.foundation/donate – we appreciate all donations, no matter how big or small. A little goes a long way, and we couldn’t do the work that we do without our supporters!

Are there any way others can support LGBT Foundation without donating?

Our Volunteer Programme is something we are really proud of here at LGBT Foundation – volunteers truly are the lifeblood of our organisation. Many of our vital services would not exist without the support of our amazing volunteers, and we always welcome anyone who is able to offer their time to help improve the health and wellbeing of our LGBT communities. There are many different roles available, from admin support to answering helpline calls, to event support. There really is something for everybody (and I speak as a former volunteer at LGBT Foundation!)

LGBT Foundation Joshua Lloyd

Do you need support? 

LGBT Foundation provide a wide range of support services to lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. They also work with healthcare and other professionals to help make public services more accessible and inclusive for LGBT communities.

Whatever your needs, they are here to support you. If you cannot find the information you are looking for please get in touch with them – call 0345 3 30 30 30 (UK) or email info@lgbt.foundation.

Or contact us directly and our friendly team will advise you the best they can and provide you with the best resources available! 

You can also read our interview with LGBT Foundation over on their website here!

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