Introducing LGBT Foundation’s Community Action Network
Want to get involved in LGBTQ+ activism but don’t have a lot of time? Want to shape public policy for the benefit of your community? Consider signing up to LGBT Foundation’s Community Action Network (CAN).
LGBT Foundation’s Community Action Network
Want to get involved in LGBTQ+ activism but don’t have a lot of time? Want to shape public policy for the benefit of your community? Consider signing up to LGBT Foundation’s Community Action Network (CAN).
LGBT Foundation’s Community Action Network is a convenient way of getting keyboard activism opportunities emailed to you every month as well as chances to get community voices heard on national platforms. We keep our ear to the ground on what is out there and try to connect you with the chance to speak to consultations, researchers, and media outlets.
Who we are
LGBT Foundation is one of the country’s largest LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charities, delivering life saving work to thousands of LGBTQ+ people every year. Currently celebrating our 50th anniversary, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver crucial wellbeing services that meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people.
Our services include counselling, domestic abuse support, sexual health testing, sexual violence support, substance use recovery services, and our award-winning Village Angels programme that ensures community members get home safely after a night out in Manchester’s Gay Village.
We use our track record of delivery to help shape the public policy, but can’t do this alone. This is where you come in.
Purpose of Network – Activism that fits around you
The CAN is a form of micro volunteering that recognises people want to make a difference, but also have busy lives and commitments. To help you scratch that itch, LGBT Foundations Community Action Network provides the following:
- A monthly newsletter – our monthly newsletter provides a simple list of ways to get involved. Opportunities typically fall into one of two types:
- Public consultations – We will share links to any open public consultations that are published by national government or public bodies like the NHS. Responding to public consultations is a way for LGBTQ+ perspectives to be heard and considered when public policies are designed and implemented. Previous consultations have included the NHS Constitution Review, surveys on the use of puberty blockers, and a review of the draft ‘Gender Questioning Children’ guidance from the Department for Education. In some instances, we will even share guides for how to respond to the consultation, like with the recent Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code of practice consultation that would affect trans and non-binary people’s participation in public life. (LGBT-Foundation-EHRC-Consultation-Guide.pdf). All of this can be achieved from a keyboard or phone.
- Research participation opportunities – Only 25% of Integrated Care Systems (ICS’s) across England, the institutions tasked with reducing health inequalities in specific geographies, include the specific needs of LGBTQ+ people and the health inequalities we face in their respective health strategies.[1] A key reason for our omission is a lack of LGBTQ+ health research that elevates our voices and experiences. To combat this, our newsletter conveniently circulates research participation opportunities that specifically focus on LGBTQ+ experiences. If you see anything that you would like to participate in, links are provided for how to take part.
- Media engagement – In addition to research, LGBTQ+ voices are often missing from the discourse in mainstream media. LGBTQ+ perspectives on topics like parenting, poverty, or the environment are far too often omitted from the conversation. When you sign up for the CAN, you can declare if you would like to be on our contact list for media opportunities. Media organisations often reach out to LGBT Foundation to speak to community members about our experiences and stories. We will periodically do shout outs for media engagement via email. LGBT Foundation will contact you before and after to check in on your wellbeing. Previous examples of engagement includes our collaboration with Trussell Trust and Metro on a piece around LGBTQ+ experiences of accessing food banks.
Sounds Great! Where do I sign up?!
If you want to stay informed on all of this and more and help contribute to LGBTQ+ activism in a unique and exciting way, sign up to our Community Action Network here LGBT Foundation – Community Action Network (CAN).
[1] The inclusion of LGBTQ + people within UK health policy: a critical discourse analysis | International Journal for Equity in Health | Full Text
