The Olive Tree Fund for LGBTQI+ folk & QTIPOC
This fund exists since 2023 as a gesture of solidarity within our community. Many LGBTQI+ folk and QTIPOC (Queer, Trans and Intersex People of Colour) folks continue to face structural inequalities such as poverty, racism, housing insecurity and medical discrimination, all of which can make access to supportive and embodied care difficult. The fund is a small intervention within that wider landscape of inequity – a way of redistributing resources and creating more accessible routes to care.
Individuals from these communities often face significant barriers when accessing healthcare, both public and private. We may be misgendered, unacknowledged, body-shamed, or judged for our identities and ways of living, which can lead to feelings of invisibility and rejection. QTIPOC also face the additional axis of racism.
As a queer, anti-oppressive therapist, I'm committed to ensuring that members of my community on low incomes can access and continue to benefit from the healing power of body-based therapies. My hope is that this space offers not only support but belonging for folks who haven't always found dedicated body-based spaces built for our lived experiences – spaces where it feels possible to exhale, reconnect, and be met with care, dignity, and understanding.
What the research tells us
Here are some figures from research by the Mental Health Foundation:
-
Half of LGBTQI+ people had experienced depression, and three in five had experienced anxiety
-
One in eight LGBTQI+ people aged 18 to 24 had attempted to end their life
-
Almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life
-
Around one in eight LGBTQI+ people have experienced unequal treatment from healthcare staff because they are LGBTQI+. One in seven have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination
-
Members of the LGBTQI+ community are at greater risk of experiencing hate crimes compared to heterosexual people, with gay men, young people, and those from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds at particular risk
-
Transgender people in England are around twice as likely to have a long-term mental health condition compared to cisgender people. For non-binary transgender individuals, the rate rises to almost one in two. Discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage, and barriers to healthcare are consistently identified as contributing factors. Watkinson et al., The Lancet Public Health, 2024
QTIPOC experiences are too often overlooked in broader surveys of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2021, UK Black Pride undertook a survey that found:
-
In the past 12 months, nearly half of all respondents (47%) were insulted, pestered, intimidated, or harassed in person
-
Of those who experienced violence or harassment, over half (56%) felt it had been motivated by their race or ethnicity, and just under half (47%) by their sexuality
-
A third of respondents (33%) had experienced discrimination or harassment in an LGBTQ+ space due to their race or ethnic origin
-
Only 61% were open with work colleagues about their sexuality, and 54% about their gender identity
Numbers like these are part of why this fund exists. They're also a reminder that if any of this resonates and you're struggling right now, support is available.
If you feel suicidal or in crisis with your mental health, Samaritans Scotland are there to listen, any time, day or night.
How the fund works and how to access it
The Olive Tree Therapies Fund is a community initiative that supports each other's healing and resilience. It exists to make body-based therapeutic care more accessible to LGBTQI+ people and QTIPOC in Edinburgh who are living on low incomes.
If this sounds like you, please feel welcome to book through my usual booking system and mention in your message that you'd like to access the fund. I trust your judgement and there's no need to prove eligibility as the fund is offered on a basis of mutual care and honesty.
Clients using the fund receive 30% off any treatment, with the remaining 70% self-funded. You can use the fund once per calendar month and as often as you need throughout the year. This helps ensure more people can benefit while still allowing you to access consistent support. Because funds are limited, this is offered on a first-come basis.
To keep this initiative going, and with the aim of increasing the subsidy to 50% in future, I rely fully on donations. If you'd like to contribute, please consider sharing this page with friends, family, and allies. Even a small amount helps sustain this for someone else. You can donate via cash or bank transfer – just email me for details.