Community forum helps LGBTQ+ residents connect

By Alice Neil

A new community forum is helping residents who identify as LGBTQ+ to connect across the borough.

Lambeth Links’ official launch will take place on 6 February as part of LGBT History Month, where they will host a series of online events and talks as part of their #SpeakerSeries.

The series will cover issues that many LGBTQ+ people face and will include mental health talks from Healthwatch Lambeth, housing talks from Tonic Housing and talks from the Army LGTBQ+ forum.

Chris French, chair of Lambeth Links said: “I started Lambeth Links to be the voice for our community, especially those who are not heard enough or at all.

“We will be the critical friend to those providing important services to our community and hold to account those that are not giving us the support and acknowledgement that we rightly deserve.

“Our future is our community. Support and safety are our priorities.

“There is much more work to be done with the Metropolitan Police for example, as Lambeth has one of the highest rates of hate crime of all the London boroughs.

“My plans for the future of Lambeth Links are for it to be the recognised voice for our community, to raise issues that affect it but also to highlight the many positives and to make something resilient that lasts well beyond my time as its chair.

“There is much to be done.”