Member Article

Blacks Solicitors partners with Leeds City Council to set up business alliance providing support to the LGBT+ community in Leeds

Blacks Solicitors LLP has teamed up with the council run LGBT+ Hub to create a business alliance with the aim of supporting the community through Corporate Social Responsibility work.

The alliance, which will launch in September this year, will pool the resources of private sector businesses throughout Leeds and aims to include financial support, legal advice, setting up charity events, social enterprises and providing public spaces for community group gatherings for the whole LGBT+ community.

Additional aims of the alliance will be to provide peer support to SMEs in Leeds as well as supporting 3rd sector organisations who are also involved in LGBT+ community backing. On top of this a LGBT+ Charter mark scheme will be developed, to assess business services on being LGBT+ inclusive.

Rob Wilson, Equality Project Manager for Leeds City Council, said: “Although we are still in the planning stages, this business alliance is already a very exciting prospect and one that will greatly benefit Leeds and the community as a whole.

“Blacks Solicitors has always been a fantastic advocate of the Leeds LGBT community and it has been a pleasure working with them on this. Once the alliance is live we are hoping that lots of businesses throughout Leeds will rally behind it and join us.”

Ahead of Pride weekend in Leeds (5th–6th August), Family Lawyer Andrew Smith, from Blacks Solicitors has also set up a free LGBT+ legal advice clinic alongside the Trans Leeds group. This will run on the last Monday of each month, from 2pm – 4pm at Blacks Solicitors’ offices in the heart of Leeds.

He said: “At Blacks Solicitors we are passionate about supporting the LGBT community. The clinic is open to everyone in the LGB and transgender+ community and will offer all kinds of advice, from employment to discrimination to family law, as well as commercial advice for small and medium sized businesses.

“As well as the clinic and the business alliance, Blacks is getting involved with even more LGBT+ events and awareness days this year. We are the main sponsors for Leeds Hunters and also sponsors of the Leeds LGBT+ book club. We are also going to be supporting the Pride Park Run on the 5th August in Leeds, so keep an eye out for us there.”

For more information about the free legal advice clinic, the business alliance or any of Blacks’ personal and professional services, please contact Andrew Smith via email AJSmith@LawBlacks.com or call 0113 322 2807.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Blacks Solicitors .