Methodist partner supports Open Table Network with £5,000 grant
The Dignity & Worth logo
The Open Table Network (OTN) has received a £5,000 grant from Dignity & Worth, providing valuable support as the charity works to secure its longer-term future.
Dignity & Worth’s aims include promoting equality and diversity in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community, primarily but not only among Methodists.
Its charitable aims have clear connections with the work of Open Table, a national network of LGBTQIA+ inclusive Christian communities across England and Wales, of which a growing number are hosted in Methodist Churches.
OTN's charitable objects include the promotion of equality and diversity and the relief of those in need, particularly in relation to LGBTQIA+ equality in religious organisations in the UK. The charity creates and sustains mutually supportive communities where LGBTQIA+ people can explore and celebrate faith and identity in safe, non-judgmental spaces, while supporting community leaders to provide long-term unconditional welcome.
Both organisations share a commitment to fostering greater understanding and cultivating support for equality and diversity.
In response to the #SaveOTN emergency fundraising appeal, and recognising the significant overlap in our shared aims, Dignity and Worth trustees resolved to offer OTN a £5000 grant.
The appeal has so far raised more than £13,000 towards its £16,000 target through Crowdfunder and direct donations, not including the Dignity & Worth grant.
The support from Dignity & Worth will help OTN continue its national work supporting existing Open Table communities, local leaders and volunteers, while helping churches to explore the possibility of establishing new Open Table communities.
Kieran Bohan, Director of the Open Table Network, said:
‘We are enormously grateful to Dignity & Worth for this generous support. At a time when funding for LGBTQIA+ organisations is increasingly difficult to secure, it means a great deal to receive support from an organisation whose charitable purpose so clearly connects with our own work to promote equality, challenge discrimination and create places where LGBTQIA+ people can experience genuine welcome and belonging.’
Alister McClure, Chair of Dignity & Worth, said:
‘We are pleased to be able to support OTN in this way, as organisations that have a shared commitment to the flourishing of LGBTQIA+ people, particularly in a Christian context. At a time when LGBTQIA+ organisations and individuals are experiencing increased exclusion, it is important to stand in solidarity with each other, the people we serve, and in the Gospel of God’s liberating love.’
