London LGBT charity Kairos in Soho have launched a new annual publication, The London Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Voluntary and Community Sector Almanac. This half-inch-thick tome brings community group information alongside an overview of those community groups, how they are funded, who runs them, what they do and who they reach.
It covers some 89 organisations, all based in London – none of which work specifically with the bisexual community. It reflects that the sector reaches lesbians and gay men far more than bisexual people – some 6% of service users are reckoned to be bi.
And it highlights how much better funded LGBT work in London is than elsewhere in the country – taking half the voluntary sector funding from the whole of the UK for about one eighth of the population, and a better proportion of voluntary sector funding than LGBT work takes elsewhere in the country.
In showcasing the wealth of activities and services provided by diverse London LGBT organisations, the Almanac challenges the idea that independent equality sectors are losing relevance because public sector bodies have ‘taken equality on board.’ LGBT organisations serve between a quarter and half of London’s estimated LGBT population every year.
The report also reflects how things have changed since the last similar survey in 2006, with less work in areas like befriending and telephone helplines.
