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In Our Name London Infrastructure Project 2009-2014 is a London lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) project managed by Kairos in Soho and delivered in partnership with London Friend, PACE and the Metro Centre.
In Our Name is comprised of the five components outlined below.
Learning Network
This independent network will bring together officers, trustees and volunteers from LGBT VCOs, LGBT Forums and LGBT projects. Meetings will be held quarterly and will provide opportunities to learn about and inform the sector, to work together and to reflect on practice. Meetings will be themed, they will have clear aims and be facilitated. The content will address issues identified by LGBT VCOs and LGBT Forums and could include contributions from LGBT voluntary and community representatives, policy makers and researchers.
The Almanac
The annual Almanac will compile information about the LGBT sector so that stakeholders can argue for better resources and have access to information for planning and development. It will provide an annual snapshot of the state of the sector, for example, income, number of staff and volunteers, services provided and activities undertaken. It could include examples of good practice, new policy developments, focus on specific issues etc.
A hard copy will be produced annually; the first will be available in autumn 2010.
Innovation Hubs – beginning in year two
These are working units comprising LGBT VCOs, funders and infrastructure agencies. Their purpose is to offer LGBT VCOs the opportunity to work together in small units on specific issues of concern, with potential supporters. All of the partners in the group will have an experience that enables them to improve the workings within their organisation in relation to LGBT equality. The funder will not have a funding role, and the infrastructure organisation will not have an explicit support role, both will contribute to overall knowledge and learning and both will build their own knowledge and capacity in relation to supporting LGBT organisations.
Leaders Network
The Leaders Network is for those with a specific funding remit within their organisations. The sessions will provide a range of activities geared towards improving the financial situation of LGBT organisations. In recognition of the different needs of the sector it will be important to find creative ways of meeting these different needs; for example, smaller LGBT organisations may need specific and tailored support around fundraising.
Thinking Network – beginning in year two
The Thinking Network is for people in the LGBT sector involved in influence and policy work. The aim of the network is to develop policy positions with and for the LGBT voluntary and community sector so that policy makers, service providers, funders, infrastructure organisations and statutory bodies are better informed and better able to serve and support LGBT people. It will provide space and opportunity to explore specific issues which emerge from LGBT organisations. A group of LGBT VCOs might, for example, wish to develop policy around issues specific to the service they provide. In Our Name will offer facilitation and support.
Other elements of In Our Name, which absorbs the work of the IN Project funded by London Councils, include outreach, information development, website development and borough analysis.
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