LGBTQ youth homelessness charity The Albert Kennedy Trust rebrands as ‘akt’ to mark 30th anniversary
The charity has unveiled a brand new visual identity as it enters a new decade.
By Will Stroude
30 years after it was founded as the world’s first ever service for homeless LGBTQ youth, The Albert Kennedy Trust has unveiled a fresh new look and feel to take it into a new decade and beyond.
Now known as ‘akt’, the rebrand has seen the celebrated charity embrace a new rainbow colour scheme as it continues to provide support and safe accomodation for LGBTQ young people.
Three decades after its creation in Manchester, akt’s mission remains as pressing as ever: Of all the young people facing homelessness across the UK, almost a quarter identify as LGBTQ.
Of these, more than three quarters have been made homeless due rejection, ejection or abuse from their own families.
Tim Sigsworth, CEO, akt said of the charity’s reinvigorated look and feel: “Young people often talk about akt as providing more than just a roof over their heads, describing us as courageous, caring, inclusive and accepting – like a family. We wanted the new brand and the way we talk about our history and our work to reflect that.
“Nothing represents this more than our founder, ally and former foster carer Cath Johnson (nee Hall), who set up the charity in 1989 when lesbian, gay, bi and trans people faced extreme hostility in the UK.
“akt was the world’s first charity to respond to the LGBT youth homelessness crisis, providing safe homes with lesbian, gay, bi and trans carers.
“Cath spoke out and acted at a time when to do so was both controversial and rare, and stood shoulder to shoulder with our fellow founders in stepping in to ensure that vulnerable young LGBTQ+ people who were facing or experiencing homelessness had somewhere to turn.”
“When talking to our young people today about akt and its journey, Cath’s selfless and unwavering support really stuck with them, and is something they wanted celebrated in how we talk about the organisation.
“Today, Cath still meets the young people we work with and is a huge supporter of what we do, and as we mark our 30th anniversary and continue to look ahead we want to celebrate and thank her for everything she’s done.
“akt is how our young people, supporters and the wider community have come to know us as we’ve grown, and so we’re pleased to own that in our new brand identity while still paying tribute to the young Albert Kennedy.”
For more information about akt’s work check out akt.org.uk.