Andrew Kay: Way up High

Pride’s Rainbow Fund raises much needed funding for local LGBT groups and charities

I recently attended the award ceremony for the Rainbow Fund who administer the allocation of the ring-fenced charitable monies raised at Brighton’s Pride celebrations. This year an impressive sum close to £100,000. So no prattle from me this week, simply a summary of who got what and how that money will be spent.

GEMS (Group for Older Gay Men who meet for social opportunities and outings)
Grant towards core funding costs
£2,500
Presented by Pride Ambassador David Raven

PEER ACTION (Peer Support group for people with HIV)
Grant towards core funding costs, and providing Complementary Therapies and Yoga sessions for people affected by HIV
£7,500
Presented by Danny Dwyer

OLDER AND OUT (Group for Older LGBT people who meeting once a month and go on regular trips)
Grant towards providing continuing support for social activities, lunches and representation for LGBT elders
£5,000
Presented by Cllr Carol Theobald

MINDOUT (Group for LGBT people with mental health problems)
Grant towards suicide prevention programme ‘Out of the Blue’ and continuing support for social group
£4,889
Presented by Rainbow Fund Grants Panel Member, Chris Sandland CBE

BRIGHTON AND HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD (Long established helpline and counselling project)
Grant to pay for external clinical supervision for counsellors
£5,000
Presented by me.

TRANS ALLIANCE (Strategic group encouraging all trans* organisation in the city to work together)
Grant towards core funding costs and delivering Trans Awareness training to businesses and employers
£5,775
Presented by Brighton Pride Ambassador Alice Denny

CLARE PROJECT (Long standing Trans support group providing support to trans people)
Grant towards core funding costs and continued support for ‘Living Well Courses’
£4,910
Presented by Brighton Pride Ambassador Alice Denny

SUSSEX BEACON (HIV facility providing in and out patient support for people with HIV)
Grant towards equipping Rainbow Fund Treatment Room for use of nurses and service users of the Sussex Beacon
£4,350
Presented by Chair of the Gay Business Forum and St James Street Pubwatch, Alex Matthews

LUNCH POSITIVE (Weekly lunch club for people affected by HIV run by volunteers)
Grant towards core funding costs and continued support for weekly lunches
£7,500
Presented by the Golden Handbag Favourite Landlord Adam Brooks

BRIGHTON AND HOVE LGBT COMMUNITY SAFETY FORUM (Voluntary group who work to monitor trust and confidence levels in the police and make Brighton and Hove safer for all LGBT people).
Grant towards core costs, safety training and information sessions delivered from a portable trailer in St James Street
£7,485
Presented by Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS (Voluntary group who provide all access needs for disabled people at Pride and at community events during the year)
Grant towards core funding costs, BSL signers at Pride and a Hate Crime Needs Assessment
£7,495
Presented by Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

SMALL GROUPS NETWORK (A Network of small LGBT organisations with a turnover of less than £35,000 a year to enable them to share resources and network more effectively with each other)
Grant towards meeting room hire costs
£2,820
Presented by Chair of Rainbow Fund, Chris Gull

RAINBOW FAMILIES (Long-established volunteer led group for LGBT people with children)
Grant towards funding a range of activities and events designed to engage older children within LGBT families to develop friendships
£2,580
Presented by Pride Ambassador Aneesa Chaudhry

RADIO REVERB (Volunteer led Community Radio Station that has regular shows for the LGB and T communities.)
Grant towards sponsoring 52 one hour weekly radio shows for the HIV community called The HIV Happy Hour
£3,000
Presented by Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Geoffrey Theobald

RAINBOW CHORUS (Brighton largest and oldest LGBT community choir)
Grant to establish a new singing group with more assessable rehearsal times and less pressure, creating greater social inclusion
£2,500
Presented by star of Gogglebox Chris Steed

ALLSORTS (Project to support LGBT children and young people)
Grant towards delivering services to trans children and LGBT young people
£5,000
Presented by Brighton Bear Weekender