History

Albert Kennedy
31st January 1973 – 30th April 1989

Growing up lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans is a difficult time for anyone. All you see around you is people's prejudice and countless negative images. There are few positive role models, no one you can turn to for advice and no one you know who really understands. Loneliness and depression are all too common.

For some young people, life is even more difficult. They come out, or their parents found out they are gay, and now they are homeless or living in an abusive or hostile environment. Often they have been totally rejected by both their families and friends.

Social Services or homelessness organisations cannot always help with the issues and so the young person can feel even more rejected.

Homophobia expresses itself in many forms. Many young people are not believed if they say they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans or it is assumed to be a phase. Often professionals are unwilling to work with young people under the age of consent who are having sex. It can also be plain ignorance assuming that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people have no particular needs.

It was against this background that The Albert Kennedy Trust was set up. In 1989, 16 year old Albert Kennedy fell to his death from the top of a car park in Manchester whilst trying to escape a car load of queerbashers. Albert was a runaway from a children's home in Salford and was depressed. His short tragic life had been filled with rejection and abuse from society.

Manchester’s gay community was moved into action by the Trust’s founder patron Cath Hall, a heterosexual foster carer who admitted she could not meet the full range of needs of gay & lesbian kids coming through her care.

As a result AKT was formed, and in 1990 became a Trust.

AKT’s Mission is:
To ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people are able to live in accepting, supportive and caring homes, by providing a range of services to meet the individual needs of those who would otherwise be homeless or living in a hostile environment.

We aim to do this by:

• Providing appropriate homes through supported lodgings, fostering and other specialist housing schemes.
• Enabling young people to manage independent living successfully.
• Improving attitudes within society towards lesbian, gay and bisexual young people

To support our work all our staff, trustees, carers, mentors & volunteers are committed to:

• Delivering flexible and responsive services centred on the needs of LGBT young people.
• Engaging, supporting and nurturing LGBT young people.
• Providing accessible, safe and positive environments that are respectful of difference and diversity.
• Pioneering and innovative services to meet real need.
• Good communication and participation throughout the organisation and valuing and encouraging the contributions of all those involved.
• Excellence and best practice.
• Working in an open and honest manner, where trust is earned and given.
• Working as a team.
• Challenging perception both internally and externally.

And doing the above with passion, energy and enthusiasm.

17 years on and the work of the Trust is as relevant as ever. Section 28a has come and gone, the age of consent has been lowered and equalised, “gay” images are now commonplace on television and in the media, and young people are coming out younger and younger.

But still lgbt young people are forced to leave home, to sleep rough, to sofa surf and to turn to AKT for help.

AKT has been through masses of development over the last few years but we try to do our bit even though we have limited resources and only have offices in London & Manchester.