Being loved and in love is a wonderful thing, in sickness and in health. And, as ill-health and age creeps in, being loved and supported becomes more important than ever.
Support with ill-health is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all. But for many LGBTQ+ people, asking for that support feels impossible. Why? Because they fear rejection rooted in prejudice and homophobia.
Iain Campbell has witnessed prejudice first hand. As Service Manager for LGBT Plus, he knows all too well the struggles LGBTQ+ people face when trying to access vital support services.
He knew that the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ communities was often rooted in ignorance. He also knew that no one deserves to suffer in silence. So, he had an idea. What if he could create a service that could collaboratively empower, educate, and inform communities, reducing the stigma and ensuring equal access to health and social care?
Through his participation in the Dumfries and Galloway HSCP Pilot Intrapreneurship Programme, Iain gained the skills he needed to articulate the value of his idea to potential investors. He successfully secured £16,000 investment to test his idea. Now, he is busy turning his idea into a reality, changing people’s lives in the process.
‘Through this process, we’re making lives better for other people. We’re conduits in changing people’s lives’. – Iain Campbell, Service Manager at LGBT Plus
Since securing investment, Iain achieved remarkable success almost instantly. He’s delivered training to the Samaritans, been approached by numerous organisations including a local Autism support group, and has engaged with Care providers across the region to offer training and awareness workshops. He’s also formed connections with LGBT Borders Oban and Highlands as part of Pride to share his insights and has led on the redevelopment of their policies and procedures.
Iain’s idea has also gained international recognition, liaising with contacts in Uganda who sought his advice on how to keep refugees in the LGBTQ+ community safe.
But Iain won’t stop there. By realising that the value his service delivers has the potential to be scaled and implemented in Health and Social Care settings both across the UK and the world, he’s determined to deliver on his promise that no one will live in fear of asking for support again.
‘Since working with The Lens, my passion to change the world has grown arms and legs! We’ve secured a bigger building to accommodate more training rooms, which will allow us to reach more people and change more lives. For us, it’s all about connectivity. The Lens is the rebirth of the human approach, enabling communities to come together again.’ – Iain Campbell
