28 February 2011: Kairos in Soho (KiS) and the In Our Name project partners (London Friend, PACE and the Metro Centre), are pleased to announce the release of the first edition of The London Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Voluntary and Community Sector Almanac.

The Almanac is available here.

LGBT organisations will receive a free hard copy of the Almanac in the post very soon. If you would like to order a hard copy for £25.00 please contact info@kairosinsoho.org.uk.

"The voluntary sector faces a really difficult time in terms of funding. The impact of the government’s austerity measures, combined with the decisions made by a number of local authorities, mean that many voluntary and community organisations are at risk. This difficult environment makes forward planning challenging, and many organisations will resort to simple crisis responses, thinking only about how they can get by for another week.

For the group of critically important organisations concerned with equality, and especially those concerned to provide support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, these risks are even greater. Organisations that have never established a strong foothold on the increasingly shaky funding ladder will feel even more insecure in these very difficult times, and it would be understandable if they were to turn inwards and despair. That is why this new Almanac from Kairos in Soho is so important. In straightforward and clear language it describes the funding environment, focusing on practical and achievable opportunities while making a compelling case for change. The LBGT community is well served by a publication such as this which enables a sober, grounded, and evidence-based analysis of the funding needs, and requirements, of a very important set of voluntary and community organisations. "
Julia Unwin CBE
Chief Executive
Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Almanac is a unique in-depth look at an equality voluntary and community sector, a sector with just 0.06% of London’s total VCS income to serve and represent 10%ⁱ of its population. Drawing on earlier KiS researchⁱⁱ , it compares the LGBT sector pre and post a high point of legislative and policy attention to equality in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity. 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 Almanac, which will be produced annually, also offers an important benchmark to critically examine the experience of marginal voluntary and community organisations that are heavily reliant on public sector funding, amidst economic change and political machination, and rhetoric of a ‘Big Society’. Its findings will be relevant across the equality strands and for the voluntary and community sector as a whole.

The Almanac provides strategic information about the LGBT voluntary and community sector in London, so that LGBT organisations can plan, develop, and collectively build a more nurturing, sustainable and inclusive environment for diverse LGBT community action and LGBT Londoners. The Almanac will enable LGBT organisations, together with supportive funders and infrastructure, to argue effectively for better resources. It contains a sector analysis, a ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ of London’s LGBT organising; profiles of LGBT organisations; and insightful articles on community engagement written by prominent and experienced figures in the LGBT voluntary and activist community.

Jane Standing, KiS CEO says, “The findings of the Almanac are astonishing and clear in describing a sector that stays positive despite working disproportionately hard to achieve massive amounts within a precarious and marginal economy. This annual publication will begin to act as an irrefutable benchmark to encourage diversification of that economy and increased external leverage across the board for better resources.”

Notes for editors:

1. The sample of the Almanac is made up of 89 organisations who, by self-definition, specifically serve or represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer people, and are based in or serve Greater London, and completed a questionnaire between July and September 2010.

2. Sixty-eight explicitly LGBT organisations that DO raise funds, from the total research sample of 89, are included in the finance sample.

3. The methodology is inclusive of all LGBT voluntary and community organising, from less formal community groups through to relatively large registered charities.

4. There was particular focus on including LGBT community of identity organisations (LGBT organisations working on specific equality issues, e.g. disability, race) in the research sample.

5. The Almanac is part of the In Our Name (ION) Infrastructure Project (2009-2014), 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. ION is a unique infrastructure model developed within the community aiming to ensure that diverse LGBT voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) are supported to better deliver their missions. It aims to achieve the following:

• An increase in the overall income of the sector and London LGBT VCOs individually
• Greater LGBT input to policy development in London
• An increase in levels of awareness of LGBT issues amongst funders and infrastructure organisations
• A more connected and supported sector working strategically to improve the experience of LGBT Londoners.

i. Mayor of London (2008) The Mayor's Annual Equalities Report 2007/08. London: Greater London Authority.

ii. Kairos in Soho (2007) PiP: London’s lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender voluntary sector infrastructure project Phase One – Report. London: Kairos in Soho.