Network membership is open to all Trust employees, including volunteers and students, who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or those with a positive interest in driving forward diversity and inclusion in the Trust.
The aims of the LGBTQ+ Network are:
- To create a safe environment where LGBTQ+ colleagues can provide peer support to one another and form meaningful connections,
- Advocating for LGBTQ+ staff, and using lived experience to help the advise the Trust on inclusivity,
- To promote equality, diversity and inclusion and pride in our LGBTQ+ colleagues.
- New aims and objectives can be shaped by the network members over time.
We want to improve the working lives of our LGBTQ+ staff by empowering them to feel safe and bring their whole, authentic selves to work.
Mersey Care achieved the Navajo LGBTQIA+ Charter Mark in 2022 and retained the Chartermark in 2024 for demonstrating its commitments to patients, carers and colleagues who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and non-binary. The network is committed to help the Trust meet it’s Charter mark requirements.
2026 Meeting Dates:
- 15 Apr (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 13 May (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 10 Jun (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 8 Jul (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 12 Aug (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 9 Sep (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 14 Oct (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 11 Nov (1pm – 2:30pm)
- 9 Dec (1pm – 2:30pm)
The network meetings take place online via Microsoft Teams.
The Chair and Vice Chair posts are currently vacant.
To express an interest in these posts, please email LGBT
To see the roles and responsibilities of the staff network, click here.
LGBTQ+ Culture Events (2026)
- Feb (whole month): LGBT+ History Month
- Mar (whole month): Bisexual Awareness Month
- 31 Mar: Transgender day of Visibility
- 20 – 26 Apr: Lesbian Visibility Week
- 17 May: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)
- June (whole month): Pride Month
- 14 Jul: Non-Binary People’s Day
- 23 Sep: Bi Visibility Day
- 11 Oct: National Coming Out Day
- 25 – 31 Oct: ACE Week
- 8 Nov: Intersex Day of Solidarity
- 13 – 19 Nov: Transgender Awareness Week
- 1 Dec: World AIDS Day
- 8 Dec: Pansexual Pride Day
*If we have missed an event please let us know at LGBT
Unfortunately, there has been a sharp rise in hate crimes in the last five years that target the LGBTQ+ community. Hostility towards an individual based on sexual orientation or transgender identity is a crime, and it can take the form written, verbal, physical contact. If you have experienced or witnessed a hate crime and need support or would like to report it, please look at the below resources.
- Galop is an LGBT+ anti-abuse charity that has resources on your rights and a LGBTQ+ specific helpline if you need support.
- Stop Hate UK directly support victims of hate crimes and provide independent support to people have experienced a hate crime and need help reporting it.
- The Wellbeing Hub has resources to help provide advice to protect your physical and mental wellbeing at work.
- The Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) Guardians can help you speak out in cases where you might not feel able to.
- LGBT Hero has a list of resources to help people report and get support after experiencing a hate crime.
You can also directly report hate crimes to the Crown Prosecution Service.
