The success of our ‘Festival of Educational Psychology’ through ticket sales and sponsorship means we’ve been able to make this fantastic donation to our charity partner, AKT.
What the donation means for akt
Following the festival we spoke to Jessica Costa Silva from akt who told us that the total amount raised is enough to provide three young people with Rainbow Starter Packs: everything a young person needs for their new long-term home. Every pack is tailored to an individual’s needs, and that impact is truly life-changing and will make such a difference to how we support our young people.
Adam, akt Chief Executive, who also spoke at the festival said:
It was a huge honour for akt to be edpsy’s charity partner again this year and for the opportunity to share with the engaged and thoughtful audience the experiences of young LGBTQ+ people forced to choose between a safe home and being who they are.
It is an incredibly challenging time to be queer in the UK right now, especially for young people aged 16-25, but the depth of expertise, commitment and allyship that came through loud and clear at the festival is a reason for hope. The generous donation raised will allow akt to continue its work to support young people into safe and secure homes and brighter futures.
Thank you to the organisers and the attendees, and we hope to see you again in 2027.
Adam Pemberton Wickham, Chief Executive, AKT
More about akt and how you can support their work
24% of young homeless people aged 16-25 identify as being LGBTQ+, emphasising the crucial need for akt’s services.
LGBTQ+ hate crimes are currently on the rise in the UK and LGBTQ+ young people are at risk of experiencing homophobic and transphobic abuse in their homes.
The most common reasons why LGBTQ+ young people reach out to us is because they are living in a hostile environment or have experienced domestic abuse.
50% of the young people we supported between 2023-2024 had attempted to contact their local authority for support before reaching out to akt. Many had negative experiences when doing so, often facing long waiting lists and expressing feelings of being devalued and dismissed.
You can donate directly to akt to support their work. Your donations help in a number of ways:
- Getting emergency supplies to a young person on the streets
- Covering a night’s stay in safe, warm accommodation
- Delivering expert caseworker support to young people
- Providing everything a young person needs to move into their new home
From all of us at the edpsy team, thank you.
