Michael Causer from Whiston in Merseyside died on 2nd August 2008 aged just 18, after being brutally assaulted and left for dead. Michael was attacked because he was gay.

The murdered teenager’s parents set up the Michael Causer Foundation in 2009 to provide safe accommodation and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people who are homeless or at risk in the north-west of England.

Six years on, there were 2,134 reported incidents of hate crime on Merseyside in 2013/14. Over 350 of these (more than 1 in 6) were perpetrated against the LGBT community. This must stop.

The Michael Causer Foundation is currently seeking volunteers from the LGBT community to be part of a victim support consultation funded by the Office of the Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner. As part of this process our trainers, Kayte Walsh & Rhea Fennell-Rutherford, will be holding workshops to help identify how best the Michael Causer Foundation can support the victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and to challenge and eradicate the prejudices that contribute to them.

The Michael Causer Foundation to share your real life experiences, both negative and positive, about being a Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual or Trans* person and/or being a target of LGBT hate crime. The Foundation  plan to film these workshops so that The Foundation can then look to use those experiences and the strength you have gained through them to raise awareness and educate others that your sexuality or gender is just a part of you and not all of you!

Following on from these workshops, 8 volunteers will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences in more detail via 1-2-1 filmed interviews during w/c 16th March.

The Foundation will then use the finished video resource and our learning to form part of the educational tools the Foundation uses in schools and youth projects thus enabling us to support victims by sharing your real-life experiences and your coping and recovery strategies. The Foundation may also use excerpts of the film on the Michael Causer Foundation website and via social media.

Please be assured these workshops will be entirely confidential and safe environments. First name only (or alias) name badges will be used and anybody who expresses a preference NOT to be featured in the resultant filmed material will be edited out by use of wearing a brightly coloured sticker.

To accommodate people’s working days, the Foundation have arranged two opportunities to engage in these workshops, and anyone interested can attend either as follows:

• Thurs 5th March 5.30 – 8pm @ The Creative Space, Unit 51 Café, Jamaica Street, L1 0AF
• Fri 13th March 2.00 – 5pm @ The Creative Space, Unit 51 Café, Jamaica Street, L1 0AF

If you’d like to be involved, please simply reply to this email or click here hatecrime@michaelcauserfoundation.org.uk clearly stating the session you’d prefer to attend.