London-based organization hoping to 'reconnect' 2SLGBTQIA+ community

The London, Ont.-based group ‘Why We March’ (WWM) is using money from an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grant to 'fill a void in the community.'

The London, Ont.-based group ‘Why We March’ (WWM) is using money from an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grant to “fill a void in the community.”

“We are trying to be inclusive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ people,” said Abbey Buist, program director at WWM. “Currently, London has no community centre for that community, so we are trying to, create that space.”

The organization – which has been around for just under a decade – announced Saturday that it received a grant of $11,100 from the OTF resiliency fund.

“It is to try to help us help our organization recover from the pandemic and become more resilient,” said Dustin Boam, executive director of WWM. “The money allows us to take that virtual step.”

The money has been used to purchase webcams and video conferencing equipment, which will allow their community hub to offer virtual programming and their board to meet online until they have a physical space to meet.

“We did a program called Community Conversations, where essentially we had a topic in the community through a survey, and they came in once a month, and we talked about like issues or things that we can do as a centre to help them,” said Buist.

They previously met in-person prior to the pandemic at Innovation Works, but costs rose, and the group decided to go virtual.