A Liverpool-based charity’s CEO feels the “rug has been pulled beneath our feet” after it lost two-thirds of its funding.
Sahir House has integrated itself into carrying out vital work across Merseyside “but historically at the reliance of local authority funding.” Now, the city’s longest continuously running LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charity's future remains “uncertain” as it lost its “single largest source of funding in one fell swoop.” The charity, which has been offering HIV support, prevention, information and training across Merseyside since 1985, is urging the community to mobilise together and support a campaign to secure its future.
The "Come Together for Sahir House " campaign aims to raise funds and secure the services the charity has provided to communities in Liverpool and Merseyside for nearly four decades. The plea comes after the charity gave out hundreds of free at-home oral HIV self-tests during Pride in Liverpool, demonstrating just how valued the charity’s services are in the region.
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Ant Hopkinson, the new CEO of the charity, told the ECHO : “We lost out in a competitive tender process earlier this year in relation to our HIV support services for Liverpool. This is now threatening our funding model. The money we did have we made it stretch as far as possible for the community, but now it leaves the future uncertain. It has been challenging but these challenges have been developing for some time now and I have inherited them. As a queer man myself who is very passionate about LGBTQ+ issues, half the reason I am here is to get the organisation to what it can be and what it has been in the past.
He added: “Sahir House is a vibrant and inclusive local charity and proves what our community can achieve together - we were, and remain, a Merseyside success story and we need the public to rally behind us. It’s an extremely worrying time for Sahir House and the people it serves. We’ve seen a dramatic rise in people seeking support during a time when critical fundraising efforts have been severely hampered. Having very recently lost our single largest source of funding in one fell swoop, we now find ourselves in urgent need of support.”
Mr Hopkinson believes now is “not the time to be complacent about supporting” the community. He explained that while Merseyside has a “well-deserved reputation” for being a diverse and welcoming region, “anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech and discrimination is on the rise.”
He added: “We’ve seen a real spate of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in Liverpool - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. LGBTQ+ individuals across Merseyside have disproportionately worse health outcomes and experiences of healthcare. Personal, family and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity continues to affect the mental health and personal safety of our LGBTQ+ community.”
Mr Hopkinson emphasised the charity wants to further develop its services to provide wider-reaching support, information and resources for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies: “We need people to donate today so we can continue to provide our vital frontline services. We don't want to let down the people who need us.”
To help ensure the charity continues to deliver its vital services, you can donate online.
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