31 LGBT organisations from across England and Wales are coming to together to tackle hate crime.

The LGBT Consortium launched an initiative today to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime, with aims to increase the reporting of LGBT hate crimes and to improve the support available to those targeted.

The initiative is funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Organisation involved include the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, Metro, OUTreach Liverpool, Galop and Birmingham LGBT.

It will work across England and Wales and will focus on rural areas and the needs of local areas.

According to the Consortium, an estimated 35,000 anti-LGBT hate crimes go unreported each year and organisers feel that by increasing the number of those reported, the crimes will be easier to tackle.

The Crime Survey of England and Wales recorded 39,000 homophobic and transphobic incidents, but just 4,500 were reported to the police.

The project, which will last for 14 months, aims to empower through campaigns and information resources.

It will set up buddying relationships between organisations, fund advisors, and set up systems to help people report the crimes.

Paul Roberts, Chief Executive at LGBT Consortium, said: “This is our opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of LGBT people and communities who find themselves victims of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crimes and incidents. We are proud to be working with so many of our Members and the EHRC on this project.”

Equality and Human Rights Commissioner Evelyn Asante-Mensah said: “Everyone in Britain should feel confident and sufficiently empowered to recognise and report incidents of hatred, hostility and harassment and yet we know that for LGB and T people this is very often not the case.”