Restaurant calls for new initiative helping the LGBTQ+ community to come to Essex
Deliveroo is offering free meals to the LGBTQ + community who are homeless and vulnerable
A local restaurant is hoping Deliveroo's new initiative to help the LGBTQ+ community will come to Essex.
Deliveroo has partnered with LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity Albert Kennedy to provide free meals to members of the LGBTQ+ community who find themselves homeless or in a vulnerable situation.
Geoff Bligh and his partner own Hank's Dirty Limited, which has a branch in Colchester.
He told us he thinks it's a great initiative that he wants to get involved in:
"I've spoken to Deliveroo's LGBTQ+ community co-chair, who is taking this initiative and other initiatives to support the community - it is a really needed service."
Why do they want to get involved?
We asked Geoff why they want to get involved and why something like this is so important:
"It's about understanding what it can be like for young LGBTQ+ people, to go through being rejected by (their) family or friends or not having anywhere to turn, which can lead to housing issues and money issues.
"I think the whole initiative and the focus on this specific group of people, because it is a unique set of challenges that they face, is very important...
"Obviously being a gay-owned business we understand what it can be like facing the possibility, or the reality, of homelessness or rejection by your families...
"If we're in a position to be able to help somebody, even take some of the stress of everything that might be going on for them by providing them with a meal, then that's something we're really happy to be involved with."
What else should be done to help the LGBTQ + community?
Geoff went on to tell us what more could be done for the LGBTQ+ community:
"I think as a country, looking at what's going on in the world right now... where diversity and inclusion (are) being crushed, where people are less tolerant, we should do more to promote inclusiveness and when we do promote inclusivity, make sure it includes everyone.
"If we value the British values that we talk about so much, then we really should be pushing places that don't support these things to do more and we should do more as a country to make sure that people are supported and included and that there is help out there for people."