The annual InterLaw Diversity Forum Winter Carnival is our largest charitable event. The Winter Carnival is a black-tie gala which raises awareness of and funds for one growing charity.
In its ten years the Winter Carnival raised well over £400,000 for the Albert Kennedy Trust to support their vital work with homeless and at-risk LGBT+ youth, which also includes BAME and trans* youth; and for Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline, which provides help to some of the most vulnerable in our community.
The Winter Carvival has been fortunate to have as past event hosts:
Sir Ian McKellen, Alan Carr, Sandi Toksvig, Duncan James, Shamim Sarif, and Dustin Lance Black & Tom Daley.
The 9th annual Winter Carnival took place on 25 February 2018 at the Club at the Ivy in London. This year's hosts were Olympian Tom Daley and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.
Also in attendance were Horse McDonald, patron of Switchboard; the one and only Skin of Skunk Anansie; actress & disability activist Samantha Renke; Helen Grant MP, co-architect of the Equal Marriage Act; Lord Brian Paddock; Baroness Elizabeth Barker; Andrew Salgado; Ollie Locke; and Dan Gillespie Sells of the Feeling and composer of Everybody's Talking About Jamie.
The 2018 Winter Carnival raised over £17,000 to support Switchboard – The LGBT+ Helpline and their work with the most vulnerable in the LGBT+ community.
Winter Carnival guests showed their solidarity with the Time's Up movement and their commitment to gender equality by purchasing white roses at the door. An additional £1200 ($1650) was raised to support the efforts of Time's Up.
Thanks to our co-hosts, The Law Society, Reed Smith, and Salesforce, for their generous financial support of the 2018 Winter Carnival.
