Call to raise essential funds for LGBTQ+ communities in Milton Keynes

A non-profit organisation is calling on the community to help raise essential funds to support inclusion, visibility, safety, and wellbeing for LGBTQ+ individuals in Milton Keynes.

The Milton Keynes Community Foundation has launched the Rainbow Fund, which will provide grants to local groups, voluntary organisations, and charities working to uplift LGBTQ+ communities. Lucy Roberts from the foundation said the fund will prioritise initiatives that support people facing multiple forms of discrimination.

To encourage early support, the foundation has pledged to match the first £25,000 in donations.

“People are really pushing for greater visibility around these issues, and I’m confident our community will rise to the occasion and support this fund,” said Ms Roberts.

The need for such support is clear. According to LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall, nearly one in five LGBTQ+ people (18%) in the UK have experienced homelessness, and more than a third (35%) have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination 

Additionally, only 46% of lesbian, gay and bi people feel they can be open about their identity with everyone in their family.

The foundation has a strong history of supporting LGBTQ+ initiatives, including funding transgender awareness training for care home staff in partnership with the Q:alliance charity, and providing British Sign Language interpreters and braille materials for the Milton Keynes Pride event.

Donations from local businesses and organisations could also help support neurodivergent individuals, refugee communities, and improve mental and sexual health services.

“Milton Keynes is a wonderfully diverse place to live, but LGBTQ+ residents still face discrimination,” Ms Roberts added. “By investing in this community, we’re empowering people who already have the tools and knowledge to uplift one another and create spaces of safety, joy, and shared experience.”

The Rainbow Fund is being launched alongside the Our City, Our Story campaign, which celebrates the rich history of LGBTQ+ activism in Milton Keynes — including the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in Wolverton during the 1970s.

“This fund is about listening to the community,” said Ms Roberts. “Do we need book clubs? Support groups for aspiring parents? More safe spaces? Arts and culture projects? We want the community to tell us what’s needed next.”