Merseyside’s longest running LGBTQ+* charity is urging people to ‘come together’ and support a campaign to secure its future, after the loss of two-thirds of its funding.

Sahir House, which provides vital frontline services to communities in Liverpool and the Merseyside area, including sexual health services and LGBTQ+ support services, has launched ‘Come Together for Sahir House’. The campaign aims to raise funds and secure the services the charity has provided to communities in Liverpool and Merseyside for nearly four decades.

Speaking ahead of Pride in Liverpool, which takes place on Saturday (30 July) – and at which Sahir House will be giving out hundreds of free at-home oral HIV self-tests – Ant Hopkinson, new CEO of the charity, urged the region to get behind the campaign.

He said: “Sahir House is a vibrant and inclusive local charity and proves what our community can achieve together – we were, and remain, a Merseyside success story and we need the public to rally behind us.

“It’s an extremely worrying time for Sahir House and the people it serves. We’ve seen a dramatic rise in people seeking support during a time when critical fundraising efforts have been severely hampered. Having very recently lost our single largest source of funding in one fell swoop, we now find ourselves in urgent need of support.

“Now is not the time to be complacent about supporting us and our communities.

“Whilst Merseyside has a well-deserved reputation for being a diverse and welcoming area, anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech and discrimination is on the rise. We’ve seen a real spate of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in Liverpool – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“LGBTQ+ individuals across Merseyside have disproportionately worse health outcomes and experiences of healthcare. Personal, family and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity continues to affect the mental health and personal safety of our LGBTQ+ community.”

Mr Hopkinson added the charity wants to further develop its services to provide wider reaching support, information and resources for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies.

He said: “We need people to donate today so we can continue to provide our vital frontline services. We don’t want to let down the people who need us.”

Andi Herring, CEO and Co-founder of LCR Pride Foundation, which delivers the annual Pride in Liverpool festival and supports the work of Sahir House, said:

“Sahir House has always been and remains integral to the community. It understands local issues and is a vital hub with an experienced team delivering a whole range of support and specialist healthcare services to people who need them.”

He added: “We urge people to support the Sahir House fundraising campaign. It shares the message and aims of LCR Pride Foundation’s current theme ‘come together’, which calls to the LGBT+ community and its allies in the region to unite and take action that will improve the lives of LGBT+ people.

“By supporting this campaign, we can demonstrate the power of coming together to break down barriers and make a difference by ensuring Sahir House can continue its valuable work.”