Hi everyone!

Thanks for looking at my fundraising page. I have recently decided to take a part in the Edinburgh Marathon 10K to raise money for an organisation close to my heart, which supports LGBT people in Poland. I am doing this with the help of the Edinburgh - based Equality Network who are collecting the money and transferring it direct to The Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH).

Although we have an emerging LGBT community in Poland, life is still not easy. Same sex relationships cannot be recognised in any way legally and in recent years, the Gay Pride Parades have either been prohibited or confronted with hostile counter-demonstrators.  Homophobia and transphobia are rarely challenged.

KPH, based in Warsaw is fighting for equal rights for LGBT people in Poland through:

· Political lobbying

· Empowering members of the LGBT community

· Building a movement of allies

· Education

· Research and report writing

· Social awareness campaigns

· Combating sexism and working towards gender equality

In particular, they specialise in organizing large social awareness and educational campaigns aimed at increasing LGBT visability in society. These include the poster campaign and photo exhibit “Let Them See Us” or “Parents, dare to speak out!” They have also trained and educated students, teachers, doctors, social workers, lawyers, police, parents and others. They offer psychological and legal help to victims of homophobia and are very active in lobbying for equal right on the national level as well as internationally. KPH has been part of many international initiatives and networks working on LGBT issues participating in many youth exchanges, NGO platforms and social campaigns across Europe and beyond.

Please sponsor me with a donation of any size so that Polish LGBT people can have the same equality we now have here in the UK.

Thank you