Last weekend, hundreds of people came together for the Out Together Ball.
It was a night of celebration, laughter, generosity and community. A chance to recognise what we’ve achieved together, thank the people who make our work possible, and raise vital funds to support LGBTQ+ people across West Yorkshire.
I’m delighted to share that, thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who attended, sponsored, donated, volunteered and supported the event, the Ball raised more than £21,000 in profit after costs for Out Together.
That funding will make a real difference.
It will help us continue tackling loneliness and isolation, expand our work across West Yorkshire, support our digital inclusion programmes, and invest in new initiatives that help LGBTQ+ people connect, build friendships and find support when they need it most.
But as I stood looking around the room, I found myself thinking about something bigger than the event itself.
I found myself thinking about why organisations like Out Together matter.
Why community matters
Over the last few years, public conversations have become harsher and more polarised. LGBTQ+ people, and trans people in particular, have increasingly found themselves at the centre of debates about rights, identity and belonging.
While politicians and commentators move on to the next headline, the impact on real people lasts much longer.
It affects young people wondering whether they will be accepted.
It affects older people who fear progress can move backwards.
And it affects people who are already feeling isolated and wondering whether there is still a place for them in their community.
That is why Out Together exists.
When the world becomes louder, community becomes more important.
We started with a simple mission: tackling loneliness and isolation amongst older LGBTQ+ people in Leeds.
Many of those people spent decades navigating a society that didn’t always welcome or acknowledge them. They fought for rights and visibility that many of us benefit from today, yet too many were reaching later life feeling disconnected and alone.
So we started with coffee mornings, social groups, trips out and shared meals.
Small moments of connection.
Small reminders that people matter.
Because loneliness isn’t simply about being alone.
Some of the loneliest moments happen when you’re surrounded by people and still feel like nobody truly understands you.
Community isn’t just about having people around you.
It’s about knowing you belong.
It’s about knowing you don’t have to hide parts of yourself.
And it’s about knowing that when life gets difficult, there are people who will show up for you.
A year of growth
Over time, those small moments have grown into something much bigger.
The last year has been transformational for Out Together.
We’ve delivered almost twice as many events and activities as we did the year before and expanded our reach across Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees.
We’ve continued growing our digital inclusion work, helping people build confidence online, stay connected to friends, family and services, and access opportunities that many of us take for granted.
We’ve also continued developing Club Out Together, our professional and workplace community, creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ people and allies to connect, learn from one another and build supportive professional networks.
This work has also been recognised nationally through support from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
That recognition matters because it reinforces something we’ve known for a long time.
Community organisations are not a luxury.
They are essential community infrastructure.
Looking ahead
While the Ball gave us an opportunity to celebrate what we’ve achieved, it also reminded us of what comes next.
Next month we’ll be taking Out Together to the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time and continuing to expand Out in the Country, helping us reach rural communities and making it clear that LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere.
Not just in city centres.
Not just during Pride Month.
And not just in the places people expect to find us.
Everywhere.
During the Ball we also launched Out Together Spaces, a growing network of trusted venues and employers committed to creating welcoming and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ people.
Later this year we’ll launch Together By, our new digital community, helping people stay connected, build friendships and access support wherever they are.
Because the future of Out Together isn’t simply about delivering more events.
It’s about building a stronger network of places, relationships and communities that help people feel connected, supported and less alone.
It’s about making sure that when somebody in our community needs support, there is somewhere to go, somebody to talk to and a community ready to welcome them.
Progress is not guaranteed
One of the themes I spoke about during the Ball was progress.
For a long time, many of us assumed that progress would naturally continue. That each generation would have it easier than the one before.
As somebody who has been fortunate enough to live openly throughout my adult life, build a career openly, and be judged on my ability rather than who I love, I recognise how much has changed.
But I also recognise that progress is not inevitable.
The rights and freedoms many of us enjoy today did not arrive by accident. They were won by generations of LGBTQ+ people who organised, campaigned, challenged prejudice and refused to disappear.
People who lived through Section 28.
People who lost friends and loved ones during the HIV epidemic.
People who spent decades hiding parts of themselves simply to stay safe.
Their work created opportunities that many of us have benefited from.
Yet increasingly, I’m not sure we can simply assume that progress will continue on its own.
Rights can be rolled back.
Communities can be divided.
And progress can stall when good people convince themselves somebody else will protect it.
Progress is not something we inherit permanently.
It is something we maintain together.
Thank you
The £21,000 raised through the Out Together Ball will help us continue saying yes.
Yes to somebody attending their first community event.
Yes to somebody looking for friendship.
Yes to somebody learning new digital skills.
Yes to somebody seeking support.
Yes to somebody searching for a place where they can simply be themselves.
And yes to the new projects, partnerships and opportunities that will help us reach even more people in the years ahead.
To everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, sponsored, performed or supported the Ball in any way, thank you.
You helped create an incredible evening.
More importantly, you’re helping build a future where LGBTQ+ people across West Yorkshire know they are welcomed, valued, protected and celebrated exactly as they are.
And perhaps most importantly of all, you’re helping ensure the next generation inherits a world that moves forward, not backwards.
Thomas Porteus
Chair of Trustees
Out Together