Meet our Action Homeless LGBTQIA+ Staff Champions

At Action Homeless we are committed to our goal of being an inclusive organisation and celebrating the diversity of both our clients and staff. Our teams provide the dedicated and personalised support needed to work towards breaking the cycle of homelessness for every individual who walks through our doors.

We are currently in the process of developing our offer of support for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ across our services. We are seeking client feedback and ensuring that our teams have the necessary and up to date training and knowledge to provide the best support for clients.

We have identified two LQBTQIA+ Staff Champions to lead this initiative, who will take the lead on organising client led events and support sessions, ensuring we are creating a welcoming environment to all clients.

We will be holding a Pride Celebration event this week ahead of Leicester Pride at our centrally located Engage Wellbeing Hub, making use of the garden area and Community Lounge. Everyone will be welcome to attend and enjoy BBQ food, flag painting and music. We will also be taking the opportunity at this event to gain client feedback from anyone who wishes to share their experiences and ideas, and these will be used to shape future events and LGBTQIA+ support sessions for those experiencing homelessness.

Read our LGBTQIA+ Staff Champion statements below:

Stephanie Greetham (She/Her) Housing First Officer

As a gay individual who has personally experienced prejudice and discrimination, I feel a deep connection to the struggles faced by the LGBTQIA+ homeless community. I understand, on a personal level, how rejection, marginalization, and lack of support can impact one’s sense of safety and belonging. These experiences have fuelled my passion to support others in the community who are even more vulnerable—especially those who are without stable housing. By advocating for and working with LGBTQIA+ homeless individuals, I hope to contribute to creating a world where everyone, regardless of their identity, is treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

I want to represent the LGBTQIA+ community within Action Homeless because I believe it’s essential that all voices are heard, especially those who are often overlooked. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I understand the unique challenges many face, particularly around housing and discrimination. I’m passionate about creating a more inclusive environment where everyone feels seen, supported, and safe, and I want to help ensure that Action Homeless continues to be a place where diversity is respected and celebrated.

Joseph Cope (They/Them) Homelessness Services Officer

I first got interested in building a support service for the LGBTQIA+ community after a period of self-discovery I went through while supported by the LGBTQ Centre’s counselling service. I have questioned gender identity my whole life but never accepted the idea that I could do anything about it until, inevitably, it became too difficult to manage on my own.

The anxiety I have experienced while trying to find ways to explore my gender identity over the years has led me into long periods of depression and self-neglect. I have approached various people and establishments that advertised themselves as inclusive, only to find the same overbearing levels of expectation when it comes to expressing gender, sexuality and individualism that had fed into the anxiety in the first place; preventing me from speaking my mind. Even simple things like changing your hair or putting together an outfit can become impossible tasks when you have no idea how to approach even asking for advice, let alone understand it when it was provided. Fortunately, through support from counselling and stubborn persistence, I have been able to push past that anxiety and explore my identity with people that actively support me. But there are many people still out there, suffering the discomfort of their own bodies, that struggle to find the courage to ask for help for fear of being socially ostracised or vilified by their own communities.

So, I decided I wanted to create a space where we can we support those people with holistic, confident advice. Where we can go with them when they shop for a new outfit, offer styling advice from people already understanding of their struggles and signpost them to support that we already know can help.