The leadership summit, held over two days, will also be looking to the future and how to improve the financial sustainability and operational effectiveness of these organisations – currently 41% of organisations in the sector are dependent on central government funding.

As one of the commitments made in the government’s 2018 LGBT Action Plan, the summit follows last year’s £200,000 to deliver training to LGBT+ organisations, and £400,000 in the Futures Fund to voluntary and community groups across the UK.

Consortium, LGBT Foundation and Stonewall will be providing workshops for attendees on organisational sustainability, leadership and representation and lobbying effectively and collective voice.

Minister for Equalities, Baroness Williams, said:

“LGBT charities in the UK provide a range of exceptional respectful and supportive services. It’s vital their huge efforts in support of the LGBT community are recognised.

“This conference provides an excellent opportunity for LGBT Leaders to share what works and what doesn’t. Coming together to increase the already outstanding impact the LGBT third sector has on so many lives in the UK.”

Alongside a speech from the Minister for Equalities, Baroness Williams, the summit will see workshops hosted by members of the government’s LGBT Advisory Panel, and guest speakers including co-founder of Black Pride UK and Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Trust, Phyll Opoku-Gymiah, and Dr Chelvan, Barrister at No.5 Barrister Chambers and member of the LGBT Advisory Panel.

Workshops and discussions will include sustainability of attendees’ organisations, leadership and how to lobby effectively with a collective voice.

Through the £400k Futures Fund, the government has supported 66 projects ranging from LGBT Bristol receiving funding to improve their strategic planning to Pride in Sheffield who received funding to be even more inclusive, enabling people to attend Pride who would normally face barriers.

One example of important work that has been funded comes from an organisation which promotes the care and upbringing of children by LGBT+ adopters and foster carers by allowing these families to socialise and share support in a safe environment.

The funding was able to provide support at a number of levels. The charity has been able to extend staff hours, set out a new membership structure that can be better utilised, a new website launches and coaching for the Chief Executive to support development.

The LGBT Leaders Summit provides organisations like these with the opportunity to discuss what support has been most beneficial to them, changes they have made which have worked well and what they feel can be done better so that the sector can flourish further.

Background:

Representatives from the following organisations were in attendance:

NHS England

Kaleidoscope Trust

Umbrella Cymru

Proud Trust

Mosaic

LGBT Mental Health Service

UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group

Diversity Role Models

All Sorts

Mermaids UK

London Friend

Birmingham LGBT

Proud Trust

Intercom

Gendered Intelligence

Rainbow

Stonewall Housing/Gallop

FFLAG

Consortium

Hidayah

New Family Social

Inclusive Mosque

Carra Friend

Transgender NI

Quest LGBTI

Keshet

One Body One Faith

Para Pride

BiPride

LGBT Foundation

Lancashire LGBT

The Ozanne Foundation

Barnardos

Scottish Trans Alliance

Home Secretary Priti Patel has today announced the launch of a consultation on pre-charge bail to protect victims and ensure the police are supported to investigate crimes.

Pre-charge bail allows police to release a suspect from custody, usually subject to conditions, while officers continue their investigation or await a charging decision.

The Home Office is launching a consultation in recognition that more needs to be done to ensure cases are dealt with effectively.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

I’m committed to giving a voice to victims and providing the police with the support they need to protect the public from harm.

The public consultation forms a central part of this review, which will help ensure the needs of victims are put first and the police can investigate crimes effectively and swiftly.

Reforms made in 2017 limited the length of pre-charge bail to an initial 28 days and required any extension of bail conditions for up to 3 months should be authorised by a senior officer.

This was intended to prevent those under investigation being left for lengthy periods under restrictive bail conditions without being charged. The consultation sets out proposals which are intended to put victims of crime at the heart of police decision making and support the timely progression of investigations.

Adina Claire, Acting co-CEO of Women’s Aid, said:

We welcome this much-needed consultation. At Women’s Aid, we’ve been calling to reverse the pre-charge bail reforms introduced in 2017, as these restrictions on the use of bail can leave survivors unprotected while they wait for their perpetrator to face justice. It is now essential that survivor voices are heard as part of this consultation, and reforms are swiftly put in place to protect their safety.

Proposals for consultation include:

• removing the presumption against pre-charge bail
• placing a duty on officers to use pre-charge bail in cases where it is necessary and proportionate, including for cases where there are risks to victims, witnesses and the public; where it could prevent reoffending and where the offence in question has significant real or intended impacts
• allowing officers of a lower rank to authorise and extend pre-charge bail
• extending the initial period where pre-charge bail can be applied from 28 to either 60 or 90 days, as well as delaying the point at which magistrates’ approval for the extension of bail is required from 3 months to 6, 9 or 12 months
• introducing ‘review points’ in codes of practice for investigations where pre-charge bail is not used, including where individuals are interviewed voluntarily or released under investigation

Importantly, this consultation will also look to gather views from victims of crime and those individuals who have been released under investigation about how the current system can be improved, as well seeking views on the effectiveness of existing bail conditions.

We have already engaged with a wide range of stakeholders across policing and law enforcement, victims’ charities, relevant government agencies and external organisations. These views will form a critical part of our evidence.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Bail Management, Chief Constable Darren Martland said:

We are pleased that the government has launched a review of recent bail legislation. We welcome the new proposals put forward and intend to fully contribute to the consultation.

In the years since the bail legislation was amended, the police service has worked hard to implement the changes in the spirit they were introduced. What has become clear in that time is that a number of unintended consequences have followed, presenting fresh challenges for the police service and the wider criminal justice system.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate are conducting a joint inspection of how police forces manage changes to bail and are expected to publish their reports by the summer. The government will give serious consideration to their findings.

Published 5 February 2020
Last updated 20 March 2020 + show all updates

Over £50 million of government funding for rural businesses is still up for grabs with a little over a week left to apply.

The government is encouraging rural businesses, start-ups and enterprises to apply for a share of its Growth Programme, which provides grants from £20,000 up to £750,000 to boost productivity, create local jobs and increase tourism.

So far the scheme has seen around £110 million awarded to 625 projects across England, creating almost 4,000 new jobs in rural communities since 2015.

In Cumbria, fresh food supplier Caterite Food and Wineservice secured funding to significantly expand their vegetable and salad processing facility, creating 10 new local jobs. Elsewhere, a Devon local landscaping business has used the funding to move into a new purpose-built facility that promotes environmentally friendly operations, such as recycling, re-using materials and growing an extensive nursery stock.

To apply for this funding, interested parties need to send an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to the Rural Payments Agency outlining how they meet the criteria for the scheme by midnight on 16 February. Successful applicants will then be invited to submit a full application.

Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:

Our rural enterprises are at the heart of the economy and this fund is helping grow these businesses, create jobs and improve economic opportunities in rural communities.

With the deadline fast approaching, I would urge all rural businesses to look into what this scheme could do for them now – whether you’re a start-up, a well-established operation or a farm looking to diversify.

To find out more, visit the RDPE Growth Programme handbook on GOV.UK which contains information on which projects are deemed eligible for a grant and how to apply.

At around 06:00 hrs on Thursday 23 January 2020, a freight train travelling from Barking to Calvert derailed on a bridge near Wanstead Park station. The train, comprising a class 66 locomotive and 22 wagons carrying construction soil, then travelled about 2.5 miles (4 km) before the braking system indicated a possible problem to the driver. The train was stopped between Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow Queens Road stations with one wheelset on the 16th wagon derailed. The derailment resulted in extensive damage to the track, other railway infrastructure and the wagon.

Our investigation will identify the sequence of events which led to the accident and the factors that contributed to its consequences. It will include consideration of:

• the condition, inspection and maintenance of the track, including the longitudinal bridge timbers supporting the rails
• wagon condition, inspection, maintenance and loading
• any underlying factors

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.

Published 5 February 2020