Today, OutReach Cumbria has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £7,700 for an exciting heritage project, CELEBRATE OutReach at 25, to take place throughout Cumbria. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on the last 25 years of LGBT+ history in Cumbria, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of OutReach Cumbria.
Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will allow the people of Cumbria to learn more about the history of the LGBT+ community in their local area, and to add their own stories and memories. This multimedia exhibition will include stories, photos and interviews with people from the community all throughout Cumbria. The exhibition will be launched at a special family friendly celebration day at Harraby Community Campus on Saturday 17th August starting at 2pm. We will then tour the exhibition around Cumbria before finishing at Cumbria Pride in Carlisle on 28th September.
OutReach Cumbria is a charity that works with the LGBT+ community, offering support and advice to the community as well as working on a strategic level with local partners including the NHS, police and local councils. They believe that the last 25 years of LGBT+ culture is worth celebrating and want to involve as many of the community as possible in this.
Commenting on the award, Laura Cairns, Chair of OutReach Cumbria said ‘we are delighted to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and we are confident that this exhibition will become a rich resource to be viewed and added to for generations to come.’
The event will showcase not only the history of the LGBT+ community in the county, but will also look back at the past 25 years of OutReach Cumbria. Their past projects have included setting up rapid HIV testing in the county, taking part in a European project working with other LGBT+ organisations, and an infoline for LGBT+ people, their friends/family and professionals to call for information and advice.
It will also further publicise the current work of OutReach Cumbria such as their bimonthly magazine written by and for LGBT+ people in Cumbria; and future plans such as getting the infoline back up and running, and offering free counselling for those with issues related to their gender and sexual identity in Cumbria.
