Gay homeless charity the Albert Kennedy Trust commemorated its 20th anniversary with a celebrity bingo fundraising evening, organised in association with Barclays, at the company's London headquarters, yesterday.
The event, hosted by BBC TV’s Open House presenter Kristian Digby, raised over £8,000.
Tim Sigsworth, AKT Chief Executive, explains that the need for AKT remains as great as ever: “As we reach this milestone, we look back with a sense of pride in helping so many young children people to rebuild their lives. But it’s also sad that we are getting more calls from distraught people than ever. Despite all the tremendous advances in equality legislation in the last decade, homophobia is still rife in society.
'Young gay people increasingly come out at an earlier age, thinking it will be fine to tell their parents. But in reality, they often suffer hostility and abuse from family and peers. The experience can be soul destroying, and in too many cases, running away is the only option.”
Based in London and Manchester, the Trust has a network of carers, mentors and volunteers, dedicated to finding accepting and supporting environments for affected young people. Much of the Trust’s work is aimed at preventing homelessness. This might include mediation with unsupportive relatives, liaising with other charities and public services to find independent and safe accommodation.
However, the Trust is best known for its supported lodgings scheme, in which it matches LGBT people with carers, who may be couples, single people or families with children. Mentors both help the young people rebuild their self-esteem and provide plenty of practical help with living independently.
At the event, the Trust also launched its Purple Circle scheme, which offers members who pledge a minimum monthly donation a number of privileges, including invitations to exclusive events hosted by celebrities.
Craig Jones MBE, head of diversity for Barclays Investment Banking and Investment Management, commented on the bank’s hosting of the anniversary event: “The Albert Kennedy Trust offers a vital lifeline to young LGBT people facing problems at an important stage in their lives and we are happy to lend our support to the charity’s fundraising efforts.
“By bringing together representatives of our own, and the City’s, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, we also hope to help AKT spread its message to a wider audience. The event forms part of a series of activities carried out by our Spectrum network of Barclays LGBT employees.”
It costs just £18 to take a young person off the streets for a night and give them a safe place to stay. Needless to say, the Trust values the generosity of it donors greatly. Tim adds: “We are delighted that Barclay’s PLC has chosen to support us by staging this fundraising evening. Without this kind of help, the lifeline we offer our young people would not be possible.”