Story
For 30 years, Manchester's LGBT+ Centre has stood proud in Sidney Street, serving young people in the community in desperate need of support and guidance.
It's no exaggeration to say the Centre has saved lives - countless people have told us what a lifeline it has been to them. Over half of LGBT+ young people self-harm. Over two thirds have been bullied or experienced hate crime. The Centre is a safe space, where people can come and be themselves. Through our groups, we help them to help themselves; to nurture their own identity, challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, have fun, make friends, and gain skills and confidence.
If we had no LGBT+ youth groups I dont know where I would be. I finally felt like I could go somewhere to be myself and be accepted. It has helped me come out to my family and friends and it has made me a much more open person. I felt like I was hiding before and now Im not.
Hanna, aged 14
We currently help over 20,000 young people each year - but the Centre is run down and we are over capacity. We have developed ambitious plans to rebuild the centre which will enable us to:
- more than triple the number of people benefitting from our services to 52,000 a year
- increase the number of regular groups from 18 to 30
- develop brand new specialist groups to help some of the most underrepresented young LGBT+ people in our community
To celebrate our 30th birthday, we want to raise £30,000 towards the rebuild. #Proud30k
Whatever you can give today will help secure the next phase of the Centre, and improve the lives of countless LGBT+ young people into the future.
It is The Proud Trust's ambition to steer our fundraised income towards the rebuild of the LGBT+ Centre in Manchester. However, the organisation reserves the right to instead use any or all of the funding raised towards other charitable purposes related to The Proud Trust.