Pride Month at NAVCA

This Pride Month, we wanted to reflect on the work that our members are doing to advance LGBT+ equality, as well as some work from the wider voluntary sector and from us here at NAVCA. We know that it is also important to keep the conversation going throughout the year. We will share all our work on social media, so give us a follow on Twitter here.

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Our members' work

Our members do amazing work to support the voluntary sector in their local area, including supporting LGBT+ groups. NAVCA members work to support the voluntary and community sector in their local area. When new groups are looking for support and advice, local infrastructure organisations can provide valuable insight into funding, essential documents and more.

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Voluntary Action Arun and Chichester (VAAC)

Voluntary Action Arun and Chichester (VAAC) recently supported Chichester Pride, leading to Chichester's first ever Pride event being held at the end of May. The event sold out and was a huge success, bringing together the LGBT+ community and allies together to celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

Watch this short video to find out more about Chichester Pride and how they were supported by VAAC.

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Voluntary Action Stoke on Trent (VAST)

NAVCA member VAST (with staff members Sian Osborn and Kelly Smith pictured on the right) recently attended Stoke Pride, of which VAST was a proud sponsor. They shared the importance of volunteering and the need for a more diverse volunteering offer within local communities.

Stoke Pride were sponsored via VAST's Community Health Champions Project to help them to share health messages and resources to the LGBT+ community across Stoke-on-Trent.

Also, through VAST's Community Health Champions project (CHC), North Midlands Older LGBT Peoples Group (OLGBT) were awarded a grant to help them to buy & share resources for their group. The group wanted to tackle health and wellbeing issues in the LGBT+ community, which can especially affect older people. The reasons for this are complicated, but can include factors such as experiencing homophobia and social exclusion. OLGBT are a group of local older LGBT+ people who support one another through regular meetings and social activities, both online and in the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire area.

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Share your story!

If you represent a NAVCA member and would like to share a story of how you work with and support local LGBT+ groups, please get in touch with us.

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Health and Wellbeing Alliance

We are a junior partner in facilitating the Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The National LGBT Partnership are a member of the Alliance and are working on the following projects:

• Improving knowledge amongst health professionals and voluntary sector organisations on inequalities faced by and good practice in working with bi+ people
• Improving LGBTQIA+ Migrant Inclusion in Healthcare

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The National LGBT Partnership was established in early 2010, in order reduce health inequalities and challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia within public services. The Partnership combines the expertise of thirty-eight key LGBTQIA+ organisations across England, and works closely with many more. To read more about the partners, click here.

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Charity So Straight / Queer Trustees LGBTQIA+ Voluntary Sector Slack network

If you are an LGBTQIA+ person working in the charity sector, you can sign up to a new Slack workspace, set up by Charity So Straight and Queer Trustees. This is a safe space for all LGBTQIA+ people working or volunteering in the voluntary sector where you can meet others to share your experiences of challenges faced in the sector, including homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. It’s a place where you can learn from and support others as well as share good news stories about great places to work/volunteer and inclusive practices.

Sign up here.

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Useful resources

Here are just a few of the many resources available to VCS organisations to improve their inclusion of LGBT+ people in the workplace, so that you can leave this blog post with some practical tips for taking action.

Leading with Pride: how to make your charity more LGBT inclusive

Workplace LGBT+ training, offered by the LGBT Foundation

Stonewall's training on being an LGBT+ ally in the workplace

Mermaids UK offer training on creating a trans inclusive ethos in the workplace