#DeserveBetter

#DeserveBetter - A Pride 365 Campaign by The Proud Trust

Help LGBTQ+ young people get the support they deserve

Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves to grow up feeling safe, accepted, understood and able to be themselves.

That’s why we’ve launched #DeserveBetter, shining a spotlight on the realities facing LGBTQ+ young people while calling for greater understanding, safer spaces and better support. As part of our Pride 365 campaign, we’re asking people across the UK to stand alongside LGBTQ+ young people and help ensure life-changing support is available every day of the year, not just during the summer Pride season.

The need has never been clearer, as following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, referrals to our services increased by 171%, with significantly more LGBTQ+ young people reaching out for support.

National research continues to paint a stark picture too, with nearly half of LGBTQ+ pupils experience bullying because of who they are, almost six in ten have seriously considered suicide, and almost a quarter are at risk of never completing secondary school. Behind every one of those statistics is a young person looking for somewhere they feel safe, someone who understands them and reassurance that they’re not alone.

For more than 30 years we’ve worked alongside LGBTQ+ young people, their families, schools and communities, helping thousands of young people find friendship, confidence, belonging and hope. Every donation helps us continue providing youth groups, one-to-one support, inclusive education, training, community spaces and advocacy that change lives every single day.

Pride isn’t just for summer, LGBTQ+ young people deserve support 365 days a year, which is why #DeserveBetter is powered by our Pride 365 campaign. Together, we’re aiming to raise £36,500, the equivalent of £100 for every day of support we provide throughout the year.

What your support makes possible

Every donation helps create opportunities for LGBTQ+ young people to feel safe, connected and hopeful about their future. Your support funds welcoming youth groups where lifelong friendships are formed, one-to-one support for young people navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives, education and training that help schools and organisations become more inclusive, and The Proud Place, our LGBTQ+ community centre in Manchester, where thousands of people find community, confidence and belonging.

“It helped me find other people similar to me who I could connect with and share experiences with that I now treasure.”

“Live Chat was the only place my brother found his voice… he finally accessed mental health support because you were there listening.”

“This training did a superb job in helping further my understanding… making me much more confident.”

“The Proud Place is a vital community institution… there is no other space like it.”

Every donation makes a difference

One hour of support costs around £30. What different levels of giving can mean:

• £60 can help fund a two-hour youth group session

• £150 can provide five one-to-one support sessions

• £600 can fund 20 hours of youth work

• £1,000 can help train teachers and create more inclusive schools

Whatever you choose to give, you’ll be helping LGBTQ+ young people find support, community and hope.

Your support in action

Thanks to our supporters, last year we were able to achieve so much together:

• 376 youth group sessions delivered 

• 821 support conversations held

• Almost 10,000 visitors welcomed to The Proud Place 

• 1,423 teachers, youth workers and professionals trained 

• Almost 50,000 young people reached through the Rainbow Flag Award 

Every one of those numbers represents a young person, family member, teacher or community whose life has been positively changed through understanding, inclusion and support.

Stand with LGBTQ+ young people

#DeserveBetter and Pride 365 is more than a campaign, it’s a belief that every LGBTQ+ young person deserves to feel safe, valued, understood and hopeful about their future. By supporting the campaign, you’re helping ensure our youth groups stay open, our support services remain available, our education programmes continue reaching schools, and more LGBTQ+ young people know there’s a place where they belong.

Whether you choose to make a one-off donation, give monthly or start your own fundraiser, you’ll be helping build a future where every LGBTQ+ young person receives the opportunities, community and support they deserve.