The London Community Foundation (LCF) has “suspended” a grant to the LGB Alliance, which was announced yesterday as part of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The LGB Alliance was one of over 700 voluntary and community organisations to be awarded a share from a £4.58m fund from Arts Council England, which aimed to make creative events part of this June’s jubilee celebrations.
Grants were administered by UK Community Foundations and 44 community foundations awarded funds on behalf of the Arts Council.
LGB Alliance had planned to use the money to make a film, Queens, “celebrating gay lives and marking 70 years since Her Majesty The Queen ascended the throne”.
LCF: We have become aware that charitable status is being questioned
LCF received 250 applications and 73 projects were successful.
However, following the announcement people raised concerns about LGB Alliance. This prompted LCF to look again and “suspend” the grant.
At the end of the day LCF said: “On 30 March 2022, following a standard application review and due diligence, LCF (London Community Foundation) awarded LGB Alliance a grant for its 'Queens - 70 Years of Queer History' as part of the Arts Council England Let’s Create Jubilee Fund.
“As of 11 April 2022, we have become aware that the charitable status of the organisation is being questioned. In line with our usual practice where a grantee is under investigation or review this grant is suspended.”
Yesterday morning, LGB Alliance said on Twitter that it was “thrilled” to have received the grant. It has not addressed the grant's suspension.
Upcoming tribunal hearing
LGB Alliance was registered as a charity in April 2021, despite “inflammatory language”, with the Charity Commission publishing a detailed explanation about its decision.
This decision is being challenged at the Charity Tribunal by Mermaids, with support from the Good Law Project. A full hearing is scheduled for September.
Last August, the Commission needed to engage with trustees after LGB Alliance’s Twitter account was sanctioned by the social media platform.
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