Cash windfall for GLBT groups

GLBT organisations are set to benefit to the tune of $20,000 following a successful year of community fundraising group Aurora.

The cash will go to six organisations including the Gender Centre and a group aimed at supporting lesbians living with cancer.

Phinn Cyrus, acting general manager of the Gender Centre, welcomed Aurora’s donation which will go towards providing furniture for a new house offering medium-term accommodation for people undergoing gender reassignment.

When people start gender reassignment they can lose family support and their jobs. The Gender Centre helps them with things like getting back into employment, counselling and grooming appropriate for their age, Cyrus said.

To furnish our new house out of current funds would mean cutting our programs elsewhere.

Aurora chairperson Jane Marsden described the difficulties some organisations faced in sourcing money.

For the Gender Centre getting funding for a four-bedroom house from the Department of Housing is hard enough work. Actually then getting funding for furniture ain’t that easy.

The fundraising group’s donations will also be spent on awareness raising and support for ACON’s Lesbians Affected by Cancer project.

Aurora raises money through its annual fundraising dinner at Sydney Town Hall and the smaller Plucked at Bilsons events that are held more frequently.

Both feature a full meal, drinks and entertainment, such as a performance or reading.

We target a mature and professional group with a hankering for fine food and fine wine and an event where they can socialise as opposed to a dance party, Marsden said.

The majority of Aurora’s donations are given to youth project Twenty10 and the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service.

However, a surplus of funds in 2006 meant Aurora could allow other smaller groups to benefit as well.

The next Aurora event will be Plucked at Bilsons on Monday 30 April. More information can be found at www.auroragroup.com.au.