18th October 2021

The Merseyside & Cheshire Navajo 2021 Awards return to celebrate LGBTQIA+ community champions

By George Hughes

The City of Liverpool College Arts Centre played host to the 10^th Navajo Merseyside & Cheshire Chartermark Awards on Friday 1^st October.

The Navajo partnership, which launched in 2010 provides more than 60 cross-sector partners and over 30 different organisations with standards for good practice, commitment and knowledge and support for LGBTQIA+ employees and service users.

Key-note speakers at the award ceremony included: Dr Antonia Galbraith, Vice Principal of the University of Chester, and Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Serena Kennedy who said the awards “sends a strong message to the LGBTQIA community that Merseyside Police are an inclusive work force.”

There were three award winners on the night. Aisla Houghton-Foster was awarded Navajo Champion, Alexander Sallery was named the Navajo Next Generation award winner, while Tasha Lewis picked up the Imogen Christie & Non-Binary Visibility Award.

Tony Griffin, chairperson of the In-Trust which sponsored the event spoke about the benefits of having Navajo Chartermark status, he said: “It ensures organisations are compliant with the equalities and human rights legislation and creates a network for them to share ideas that supports the LGBTQIA+ community, ensuring good practice.”

The award ceremony had added poignancy being the first to take place in two years due to the Corona Virus pandemic. It was also the last awards event to be hosted by Tony Griffin as he steps down in place for Andi Herring, co-founder, and CEO of LCR Pride Foundation, to whom he imparted good wishes.

“The Navajo Partnership will move forward to bigger and better things under Andi’s helm.”