Broken Rainbow, the LGBT domestic violence helpline, is facing closure and has just days to raise the £25,000 it needs to keep its services running. The charity is calling for people to donate to its GoFundMe page to help keep its doors open and continue to provide support to those in the LGBT community who need it most.
GoFundMe, the world’s most popular fundraising website for personal causes and life events, has offered to match each donation made to this campaign in the next 48 hours, pound for pound, until the charity reaches its goal of £25,000. The page has currently raised nearly £4,000 towards its target.
Broken Rainbow’s service is a crucial lifeline for thousands of LGBT people experiencing domestic violence and abuse. The charity was coming to the end of its main funding stream in March and has had no clear confirmation from the Home Office whether it will be extended.
Jo Harvey Barringer, CEO of Broken Rainbow, said: “For our funding not to be renewed or replaced will result in the helpline services being severely reduced or potentially closed down. We’ve supported thousands of LGBT people this year and, if we were to close, there are very few other services for them to go to, and not one that offers national support in the way we do.”
Broken Rainbow has been in existence since 2004 and, in that time, estimates it has supported 42,000 LGBT people. It is a unique service that offers support not only to LGBT victims but also perpetrators of domestic abuse.
“This situation is indicative to the current funding climate for small LGBT charities. We’ve seen a number of our sector partners close or reduce service provision this year and we do not want to go the same way,” Barringer continued.
Kelsea Little, spokesperson for GoFundMe.com said: “We really hope the community will continue to get behind this campaign and help Broken Rainbow keep its services running. To help the charity at this crucial time, we will match each donation made to the campaign in the next 48 hours until the charity reaches its goal of £25,000.”
GoFundMe was launched on 10 May 2010 and has quickly become the world’s most popular fundraising website for personal causes and life events, raising £1 billion since launch. GoFundMe provides an ideal platform for people to organise their own campaign to raise money and invite those in their community to support their fundraising. People can use GoFundMe to raise money for themselves, a friend or loved one during life’s important moments. People can use GoFundMe for things like medical expenses, education costs, volunteer programmes, youth sports, funerals & memorials – even animals and pets.
To date, GoFundMe fundraisers have raised £1billion for a whole host of different causes from medical expenses, education costs, volunteer programmes, youth sports to funerals & memorials – even animals and pets.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Broken Rainbow here
