Located in the heart of the city, the Manchester LGBT+ Centre is a place which welcomes and supports young people (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, other identities and those questioning) in a safe and friendly atmosphere which seeks to create community awareness and inspire change and self-love. The centre’s history traces back to 1970, when a group of activists started an initiative to build the first public-funded LGBT centre in Europe alongside Manchester’s City Council.
Nowadays, the centre, supported by The Proud Trust, is a place where many organisations and social support groups gather such as the Manchester University’s LGBT Society, Lesbian Immigration group, Manchester’s Merpeople, Alcoholics Anonymous and many more. It also hosts events and talks, and offers facilities such as The Jaye Bloomfield Resource Library and The Sydney Street Community Cafe.
The centre’s main building, which is 18-years-old, is currently in need of repair and expanding and an appeal for donations has recently been launched to help fund the project. The initiative aims to raise enough funds to demolish the old building, located in Sydney Street, and build a new one with the capacity to house the many diverse groups involved and host more events. The first goal is to raise an initial sum of £2500, which could be easily collected if 500 people were to donate £5 each. This achievement could convince other sponsors to support the cause.
The initiative would help the centre to keep making a difference and to continue to offer support to the Manchester LGBT community. So far, many young people have benefited from the services the centre offers, helping them become more confident in their identity. Donations can be made by following this link.
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