Lancashire LGBT Centre has been awarded a £450,000 grant (over three years) by the Big Lottery Researching Communities Fund, in order to work withLGBT communities in Lancashire. The Isaac Hitchen project - named in memory of a local man hanged in 1806 for being gay and refusing to betray his friends - will see a significant increase in work being done with LGBT communities in the area.

According to the charity, research has show that many LGBT people in Lancashire feel isolated lacking support. Many services in the county are reportedly failing to meet the specific needs of their LGBT customers, and many LGBT people are experiencing hate crimes but not reporting them to the police.

The money will be used  team to train volunteers across Lancashire to empower and support their own LGBT communities, enabling increased confidence to influence local decision making, with support from the police, health service, local councils and voluntary sector.

Debs Bradshaw, Chair of the Lancashire LGBT Centre said;

'This project is a massive achievement which has been a long time in coming. The Big Lottery has recognised the real need to develop work with LGBT communities in Lancashire who are often isolated, invisible and not receiving the services they are paying for. A more visible, more confident and more involved LGBT community will benefit all the people of Lancashire.'

Good news all round!