JWA SUPPORTS
CHARITY
JW Anderson is proud to support three outstanding organisations. Please read more below and consider making a donation or getting involved.
AKT + LOGO
Mission:
akt supports lgbtq+ young people aged 16-25 in the uk who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.
We support young people into safe homes and employment, education or training, in a welcoming and open environment that celebrates lgbtq+ identities.
akt helps young people:
- Stay safe in a crisis
- Find emergency accommodation
- Access specialist support
- Develop skills, identify and achieve life goals
we do this by providing:
- Access to advice from one of our housing specialists
- Connection to a mentor for one-to-one support
- Access to our emergency support pack or tenancy Our offices across the UKstarter pack
- Accommodation with a specially trained akt host
- A place to stay in our Purple Door accommodation service
- A safe place with one of our many housing provider partners
- Access to life skills training, events and peer support networks
why we're needed:
Coming out, or being outed as LGBTQ+, can lead to young people being made homeless. 24% of homeless young people identify as LGBTQ+.
Once homeless, LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to face violence and discrimination than young people who aren’t LGBTQ+. They’re also more likely to develop substance misuse issues and experience sexual exploitation. This can all take a huge toll on someone’s physical and mental health.
77% of the LGBTQ+ young people we work with believe coming out at home was the main factor in causing their homelessness and so it's vital that they are supported in an environment that is inclusive and celebrates their identities in order to improve their life outcomes.
who we are
Founded in 1989, akt was set up in Manchester by ally Cath Hall, a foster carer who found that many gay, lesbian and bisexual young people were not receiving the care and support they need and deserve. Find out more about our history here
To learn more about akt, please click here https://www.akt.org.uk/what-we-do
Follow akt on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
https://www.facebook.com/aktcharityuk/
https://www.instagram.com/aktcharity/
https://twitter.com/aktcharity
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQQEwWkR1B7c8DLFWvXz5Cw
UK BLACK PRIDE + LOGO
Mission:
UK Black Pride is Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent. We produce an annual celebration during pride month, as well as a variety of activities throughout the year in and around the UK, which also promote and advocate for the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health and wellbeing of the communities we represent.
UK Black Pride is a safe space to celebrate diverse sexualities, gender identities, cultures, gender expressions and backgrounds and we foster, represent and celebrate Black LGBTQ and QTIPOC culture through education, the arts, cultural events and advocacy. Importantly, UK Black Pride promotes unity and cooperation among LGBTQ people of diasporic communities in the UK, as well as their friends and families. In the words of Audre Lorde: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives. Our struggles are particular, but we are not alone.”
Our plans for the future:
- The Official Annual UK Black Pride Event – We aim to ensure that the annual UK Black Pride festival event will be an inclusive event and we will ensure that we work together with all sections of the UK’s culturally diverse Black LGBT community.
- Social Networking – We will hold social events to allow us to relax meet and socialise in an informal setting, while also supporting members of our community to network and develop social support.
- Community Outreach – We will look at resources available within UK Black Pride to support and give back to the community around us. Through this, we can lift all of us up, to deliver the vision set out by UK Black Pride and positively impact upon the lives of others.
- Advocacy – We aim to raise awareness around the experiences of UK’s Black LGBT community and will advocate and make contributions to the general community from Black LGBT perspectives.
- Growth – UK Black Pride is an organisation that fosters a positive ethos to ensure that Black LGBT talent and achievements are promoted. We will seek to accomplish our vision and in doing so will also attract others who see and want to be a part of this vision.
To learn more about UK Black Pride, please click here https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/mission-statements
Follow UK Black Pride on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
https://www.facebook.com/ukblack.pride/
https://www.instagram.com/ukblackpride/
https://twitter.com/ukblackpride
VISUAL AIDS + LOGO
Mission:
Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.
Statement of Values:
Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS is the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to raising AIDS awareness and creating dialogue around HIV issues today, by producing and presenting visual art projects, exhibitions, public forums and publications - while assisting artists living with HIV/AIDS. We are committed to preserving and honouring the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement. We embrace diversity and difference in our staff, leadership, artists and audiences
In the fight against AIDS, we believe:
- Effective AIDS advocacy seeks to address the underlying and related issues that contribute to and exacerbate the pandemic, such as poverty, homophobia and racism.
- Our work affirms the visibility, dignity and rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.
- HIV/AIDS prevention is about harm reduction that is guided by science, not ideology.
- We draw from the deep history of art activism, as with our Red Ribbon Project and Day With(out) Art.
- Visual AIDS promotes art that is public, inclusive and accessible.
- Art that takes risks promotes and encourages reflection, dialogue and action.
Art is our weapon of choice.
To learn more about Visual Aids, please click here https://visualaids.org/about-us
Follow Visual Aids on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vimeo
https://www.facebook.com/visualAIDS
https://www.instagram.com/visual_aids/