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Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

help the LGBT community within Cumbria in all aspects of life with a wide range of help and support.

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Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

Carlisle LGBT community centre facing closure.

help the LGBT community within Cumbria in all aspects of life with a wide range of help and support.

help the LGBT community within Cumbria in all aspects of life with a wide range of help and support.

help the LGBT community within Cumbria in all aspects of life with a wide range of help and support.

help the LGBT community within Cumbria in all aspects of life with a wide range of help and support.

Robert Kay
Robert Kay
Robert Kay
Robert Kay
1 Campaign |
Carlisle, United Kingdom
$392 USD $392 USD 15 backers
1% of $37,287 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

It is important for us to release a statement regarding the lgbt centre in Carlisle.

After two and a half years the committee met and have decided to close down the services at fisher street because funding has not been made available to us despite promises of support. We have become victims of the financial cut backs like so many others.

The last year has seen us struggle more than ever to raise funds to deliver projects and free counselling services to local vulnerable people and unfortunately a tenant of the building left without notice and built up debts which we became liable for.

The fact is equality and diversity has taken a great leap forward and that has been down to a group of people who worked tirelessly for free to make discussions around minority group issues easier in a public forum.

More than one organisation represents equal rights from the centre and as a result the sane people are responsible for service provision to many individuals. The people involved are all truly saddened at this lack of budgetary support. In comparison other counties of the UK get alloted funds to deliver service provision to their constituents. This is not the case in Cumbria or Carlisle in particular. Perhaps it is best summed up by the fact the local MP has never set foot in the centre or at any pride event in six years . It is that type of personal belief that we have sought to challenge.

The various groups will still continue to function and we will advise how to access them in the coming months.

In an ironical twist the local media have chosen to shortlist pride for being good city makers in their awards next month.
The people involved with pride are the same driving force behind the lgbt centre.

We had chosen not to publically discuss these issues to protect our clients but since pam has now been interviewed by local press it is necessary to address it.

It has also not been mentioned to allow final attempts to continue service provision. Any suggestions please contact pam on 01228267247.

For clarity the total amount of funding given in over 2.5 years by funders has been less than 25k. Annual operating costs to deliver a project on this scale are double that just to keep the building open with volunteers. In comparison another project similar to ours in another region obtained 30 times that level of funding.

Separately pride raised 20 thousand pounds to stage an event which has cost ten per cent more than that to keep promoting equality in the public eye.

It is simply unfair on the people and organisations involved to have to constantly worry about financial issues when they are trying to help vulnerable members of the community.

This project was only opened after two years of consultation with multiple agencies but even the police failed to deliver on their own intended use of the building due to budget cuts.

An lgbt centre is not for everyone and we understand that. We have not been there to represent the voices of people who lead happy lives. We have enjoyed speaking out for those with no voice.

For anyone who feels like gloating or welcoming closure of this project I simply say we hope you never have to experience bullying or hate crime and if you do that someone will be there for you.

Whilst critical of lack of funding I must pay compliment to the police and crime commissioner Richard Rhodes and Colin Glover from Carlisle city council for trying to support us where they could and by having the decency to represent us at public events.

I cannot comment on pride at present despite being chair as it is a separate organisation but the fight for equality does not go away just because of funding difficulties .

I am not going to thank people involved as they will no doubt all still continue to deliver great free services to their clients but it took many people to run the services as was demonstrated so well just last week when we brought the youth games away from the major city venues to the wonderful city of Carlisle.

Sorry from the bottom of our hearts for failing to keep it open.
I hope can understand that we gave it our best effort and would desperately love to have continued on.

Pam Eland and Glenn Anderson
On behalf of LGBT HQ


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