Waltham Forest LGBT matters: the needs and experiences of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans men and women in Waltham Forest

Duration: January 2009 - January 2010

Waltham Forest Council and its partners acknowledged a gap in evidence around local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people's experience and perceptions of community safety, community cohesion and access to Council services. In response the Council and its partners commissioned Sigma Research to undertake research to inform their annual strategic community safety assessment, their community cohesion planning and future approaches to customer access.

Our study included a survey of 270 LGBT people who lived, worked, studied or socialised in Waltham Forest. The survey was live for four months from late February to late June 2009, online or via pen-and-paper. It was promoted via advertisements online and via email lists, via posters and promotional cards in local services and via snowballing. We also undertook six focus groups with LGBT residents of Waltham Forest and stakeholder interviews to help with interpretation of the findings.