Triangle Project gets R32,000 boost from Cape Town’s LGBTI community

One of South Africa’s largest and most effective LGBTI organisations received a financial boost through an LGBTI fundraising initiative in the city.

Representatives from Triangle Project attended the latest Conversations event at Nasdak on top of the Media24 Centre at Cape Town’s Foreshore on 21 February to take receipt of a cheque for R32,000.

Conversations, launched in October 2013, is a monthly networking and social event for gay and lesbian professionals living and working in and around Cape Town.

To date, there have been 41 highly successful events, hosted in upmarket hotels, bars and restaurants stretching from Newlands to Camps Bay.

As well as facilitating face-to-face conversations between gay and lesbian professionals, be it for business or social networking purposes, Conversations is also socially responsible by raising money for and awareness of local charities.

The money raised for Triangle Project partly came from the door charge paid by the attendees at the Conversations events from November 2015 to October 2016. The R32,000 also includes a donation of R1,000 from Renault Table View.

Triangle Project is a non-profit human rights organisation offering professional services to ensure the full realisation of constitutional and human rights for LGBTI people, their partners and families. Their three core services are focused on Health and Support, Community Engagement and Empowerment, and Research and Advocacy.

“I chose Triangle Project as the third not-for-profit that Conversations in Cape Town would support because they provide invaluable support and a wide range of services to the LGBTI community in South Africa,” said Andrew Howard, founder and director of Conversations. “These include a variety of health services, such as sexual health clinics, counselling, support groups, a helpline, public education and training services, community outreach and a library.

“I would also like to thank all those who have attended Conversations events during the fundraising period. Without their support for this great cause, this fundraising effort would not have been possible,” added Howard.

Matthew Clayton, Research, Advocacy and Policy Coordinator at Triangle Project, who took receipt of the R32,000 cheque, said that: “Triangle Project has been in operation for over 30 years, but like many NPOs we still have financial difficulties that we face. We’re in a tough funding environment, made tougher by the fact that few funders want to take care of issues like rental costs, day-to-day costs and sometimes even salaries.

“In this environment, the work being done by Andrew Howard and Conversations provides a lifeline that will help us when we need it most. What makes this donation even more special is that it came from so many individuals. This is a testament to the generosity and ingenuity that LGBTI communities across the world have always been known for. Thank you to Conversations and to Andrew.”

The next (and 42nd) Conversations event will be held at Sangrita Tequila Bar on Albert Road in Woodstock from 6pm on Tuesday 28 March.