Trans* Jersey is very pleased to be able to announce that, as of today, we are members of Consortium. This will provide us with access to loads of resources for our members and other groups doing similar work in the UK.

Consortium is a national membership organisation focusing on the development and support of LGBT groups, projects and organisations; so they can deliver direct services and campaign for individual rights. They are mandated by their Membership to focus on the following areas:

SHARE: To collect a wide range of information relevant to the LGBT sectors and share it widely

• Build and maintain a national website in partnership with the sector
• Create and update a database of LGBT organisations and their activities
• Coordinate the production of a State of the Sector report annually

SUPPORT: Link the sector together

• Host events such as national LGBT conferences with time for Members to discuss their own needs
• Create and support specialist networks
• Help Members to form partnerships to work together on particular projects
• Capacity building work focused on addressing identified sector gaps with small organisations

SHOUT: Be a voice for the LGBT sector

• Be one of the voices for LGBT sector representation to highlight its needs
• Coordinate Member organisations to provide the voice for LGBT people
• Including setting up of a Members’ Council

STORE: Lead work with LGBT organisations to develop a shared vision for the whole sector

• Be a repository for good practice
• Supporting the standardisation of research across the sector to build a better national picture of LGBT needs and experiences

Recently, Consortium delivered the Trans Manifesto to the UK government. Trans* Jersey wholeheartedly supports the aims of the document. It is an important step and one we need to monitor in the island because, should its demands come to fruition, it will have repercussions for trans* individuals in Jersey, too. You can read more about it here.

Click Consortium’s logo below to find out more about who they are and what they do.