Opening doors for LGBT+ community members

Annual high-tech high tea with members of ODL and Macquarie Pride Steering Committee

28 October 2020

We've worked with Opening Doors London (ODL) for the last three years to support their mission of helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) people over the age of 50 live happy and sociable and independent lives.

Opportunity

It is the biggest charity in the UK that provides information and support services specifically for  LGBT+ people over 50.

They do this through organising activities and befriending LGBT+ people over 50 and supporting organisations with their LGBT+ training needs, providing a national quality standard to organisations.

Through Pride at Macquarie, our LGBT+ network in the region, Macquarie has supported the non-profit since 2017 through charity fundraisers and sponsored events where we connected Opening Doors London with the equivalent charity, SAGE based in America.

This year Opening Doors London are also taking part in our Community Resourcing (CoRE) programme, which helps to support community organisations with key operational needs and strategic challenges by pairing them with a team of 4-5 employees with the ultimate aim of transforming their capability, capacity and sustainability.

Our approach

Since partnering with the charity, we've raised £13K (plus matching from Macquarie Group Foundation), organised 10 events - from charity ping-pong tournaments to educational sessions for our staff. More recently, we've also supported the strategic development of the charity through the Macquarie CoRE programme. 

Their impact

2007 members

are part of the community for LGBT+ people over 50 in London and beyond1

75 per cent of members

say that attending our events has helped them feel less isolated2

86 active befriending relationships

reaching and supporting the most isolated and vulnerable members of our community3

"It’s been fantastic to work with the team at ODL for the last few years. The event’s we’ve worked on have varied – but we’ve definitely tried to put the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraising – ‘PingPong, Pride and Pizza’ events and ‘lunch and learn’ events to raise awareness of important LGBT issues."

Geff Parsons, Co-Chair – Pride at Macquarie

"As an ambassador for Opening Doors London, it is a pleasure to engage with our friends at Macquarie. They have been a huge support over the years, both financially and in bringing members together, helping us give treasured opportunities to connect with our community."

Evelyn Pittman, Opening Doors London

  1. Figure from Opening Doors London website, as at 27 October 2020.
  2. ODL Member Survey 2017.
  3. Figure from Opening Doors London website, as at 27 October 2020.

Learn more