Project Freedom have produced this latest update on where things are now for the overall project.
We are Recruiting
We are looking for an enthusiastic person to help us develop a survey questionnaire to engage and gather information from Leeds’s LGBT+ communities about housing choices that include care and extra-care facilities for older people. The full job description and application form are available on our website https://projectfreedomleeds.com/ and the closing date is 15th November.
New Volunteers
Following the successful launch of the Project Freedom website and further promotions Project Freedom has eight new volunteers who have joined either Pride of Place Living or Pride of Place. We are still looking for people to get involved and full details on how to do this are on our website https://projectfreedomleeds.com/
Pride of Place Living – Let’s Get Building Together
Site Visit
A number of people from Pride of Place Living visited the Citu site in Leeds to see how these innovative properties are manufactured and how the new estate in central Leeds is being built.
Architects Concepts Drawings
Pride of Place Living is working with architect James Elliot who has produced some concept drawings of how the housing scheme might look. The details of this will be on our website shortly.
What we are working on now?
Over the last few months Pride of Place Living has created a number of task groups to progress creating a survey to establish what the LGBT+ community in Leeds wants from the housing project, developing a prospectus to present to a provider who is willing to partner with us to build the project and developing Policies and Procedures documents. All of these will help POPL go forward which is extremely exciting.
Recent reports supporting the project
Both the LGBT Foundation in Manchester and Tonic/Stonewall/Opening Doors in London have recently published research they have undertaken into LGBTQ+ housing and extra care in later life. These reports have confirmed that there is a specific need for a scheme like POPL in the UK. Together with London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Newcastle schemes the future looks bright for LGBTQ housing and extra care provisions.
https://www.tonicliving.org.uk/bsc-2020-report
https://lgbt.foundation/policy-and-research
Pride of Place Cultural and Community Arts Centre
Funding Applications
Pride of Place previously applied for funding to employ a Community Connector part-time for three years but this is on hold due to Covid-19.
The Leeds LGBT+ Mapping Project* survey in 2017 showed that there is a need for advice and support for unfunded organisations, for more cohesion and connection between the different LGBT+ groups and services, and for a louder voice, especially for the most marginalised LGBT+ people. A Community Connector would contribute substantially to addressing these gaps locally.
We believe that three years would give enough time to make both new and smaller LGBT+ organisations more sustainable. We believe this post will help enhance the experience of LGBT+ people across the spectrum of organisations and help create sustainability in the longer term.
Pride of Place has also consulted with HEART and Seven Arts to find out about their experiences of running community-based commercially viable centres.
Leeds LGBT+ Community Consortium
Pride of Place has come together with Sage, LGBT+ Women’s Space and Friends of Dorothy to form a community consortium to provide online and outdoor events to help isolated members of the LGBT+ community in Leeds remain connected and engaged during the current covid-19 situation. This is still in early stages and more information will follow.
If you would like information or to get more actively involved in either project, or know someone who would then please visit the Project Freedom website https://projectfreedomleeds.com/
For other enquiries: email projectfreedomleeds@gmail.com
* The full Leeds LGBT+ Mapping Project report is available here
https://issuu.com/lopf7/docs/leeds_lgbt__mapping_project_full_re
