The Brisbane Pride Festival is pleased to announce that community groups, clubs, associations and committees are now able to apply for funds from the Kal Collins Memorial Fund.

The Fund was established in 2012 by Brisbane Pride Festival to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) community.

The Fund was endowed in memory of Kal Collins, a much-loved member of the LGBTIQ community Kal Collins, who passed away in 2011.

In 2013, the first year of the fund, $5000 was given to Healthy Communities (now the Queensland Aids Council). In 2014, the following community groups each received a grant of $2000: Wendybird, Rainbow OK, QTs for TBoys / FTM Brisbane, and Expanded Horizons.

Brisbane Pride Festival President, Peter Black, said that the Kal Collins Memorial Fund was an important initiative of the association.

“One of the objectives of the Brisbane Pride Festival is to promote awareness of mental health and wellness among the LGBTIQ community in Queensland, and the Kal Collins Memorial Fund is one of the main ways we are able to give back to the community.

“We hope that through the Kal Collins Memorial Fund the Brisbane Pride Festival will be able to support a wide range of community groups and programs and make a positive contribution to our community,” said Peter.

This year the Brisbane Pride Festival, through the Kal Collins Memorial Fund, is seeking to fund partnerships that will provide lasting benefits, with grants to be allocated to community groups, clubs, associations and committees.

The memorial fund is supported by the proceeds of the annual Brisbane Pride Festival, which occurs throughout September each year.

At the Queen’s Birthday Ball Awards, it was announced that there would be $10,000 available for the 2015 Kal Collins Memorial Grant Program.