Our history
Learn about the history of Micro Rainbow
September 2024 – Launch of new report – Held Back: Poverty of LGBTQI Refugees in the UK.
August 2024 – Sonia Lenegan joins Micro Rainbow as its first non-executive Director of Policy.
July 2024 – Our Founder and CEO, Sebastian Rocca wins Pioneering Leader of the Year at the NatWest SE100 Social Business Awards
July 2024 – Top UK Social Enterprise for the 4th year in a row.
June 2024 – Sebastian Rocca Shortlisted for Purpose Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 in the British Entrepreneur Awards
June 2023 – Top 100 UK Social Enterprise for 3rd year running
June 2023 – Micro Rainbow’s National Director, Moud Goba, awarded the BET Global Good Award
March 2023 – Micro Rainbow awarded Charity of the Year at the Burberry British Diversity Awards
December 2022 – Micro Rainbow’s National Manager Moud Goba is named on the BBC 100 Women 2022 list, in recognition of her work with LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers
November 2022 – Micro Rainbow opens its 18th safe house for LGBTQI asylum seekers
October 2022 – Lady Phyll joins Micro Rainbow as its very first patron
July 2022 – Micro Rainbow collaborated with BBC on the documentary Fleeing Afghanistan: Free to be me
July 2022 – Micro Rainbow’s CEO Sebastian Rocca is interviewed on BBC News Channel about our work in supporting LGBTQI people from Afghanistan
June 2022 – Micro Rainbow is named One of the Top 100 social enterprises in the NatWest SE100 Index 2022 for the second year running
June 2022 – Micro Rainbow’s safe housing programme features in a documentary for Channel 5 news
February 2022 – Micro Rainbow launched the first ever helpline for LGBTQI people fleeing the Taliban regime for Afghan refugees arriving in the UK
December 2021 – Micro Rainbow’s Founder and CEO, Sebastian Rocca, receives honorary fellowship from Social Enterprise UK for his contribution to supporting the social enterprise movement
August 2021 – Micro Rainbow is shortlisted as a Finalist in the UK Social Enterprise Awards
August 2021 – Micro Rainbow is named One of the Top 100 social enterprises in the NatWest SE100 Index 2021
March 2021 – Micro Rainbow secures social investment to expand its housing scheme throughout the UK
September 2019 – Micro Rainbow and its corporate partner Weil Gotshal and Manges win the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Dragon Award for Innovation
August 2019 – Micro Rainbow reaches the milestone of 10 safe houses in three UK locations
December 2018 – MRI changes its name to Micro Rainbow and focuses its programming on the United Kingdom only. All MRI’s international work is undertaken by the Micro Rainbow International Foundation. For more information about the work in Cambodia and Brazil, please visit the Micro Rainbow International Foundation website
November 2018 – Winners of the William Sutton Prize for social entrepreneurship and innovation
August 2018 – MRI opens the first two safe houses for LGBTQI asylum seekers in the West Midlands
May 2018 – MRI celebrates training over 150 LGBTQI people in Rio de Janeiro on starting a small business
April 2018 – MRI wins the “CSR programme of the year” awarded by the Legal Business
March 2018 – MRI starts reaching out to LGBTQI people in rural areas in Cambodia
February 2018 and September 2018 – MRI opens two more safe houses in the London area
January 2018 – MRI’s housing project is featured on Channel 4 News
October 2017 – MRI opens the first safe house for LGBTQI asylum seekers in the United Kingdom
October 2017 – MRI wins the Thomson Reuters Foundation award for Innovation
August 2017 – launch of the report “LGBT Entrepreneurship: case studies of socioeconomic empowerment in Rio de Janeiro between 2015-2017”
August 2017 – MRI is a winner of the Láurea CAF 2017 award, which acknowledges the best initiatives in support of micro entrepreneurship in Brazil
November 2016 – MRI’s housing project is one of the finalists in the European Union Social Innovation Award
August 2016 – launch of the first 20 LGBTQI owned small businesses in Brazil
July 2016 – MRI’s director Jill Power is recognised with the prestigious “Change Makers” award
May 2016 – launch of the first report on poverty of LGBTQI people in Cambodia
April 2016 – the Ambassador of the European Union in Brazil visits and supports MRI’s project in Rio de Janeiro
January 2015 – EU funding is secured to support LGBTQI people in poverty in Brazil to set up small businesses
June 2014 – launch of the first report on poverty of LGBT people in Brazil
January 2014 – LGBTQI poverty mentioned for the first time at the United Nations by MRI
October 2013 – launch of the first report on poverty of lesbian and gay refugees in the United Kingdom
September 2013 – MRI programme in Cambodia begins
September 2012 – key consultations in Brazil take place and MRI programme in Brazil begins
July 2012 – MRI programme in the United Kingdom begins
June 2012 – Micro Rainbow International (MRI) officially registers in the United Kingdom as a not-for-profit social enterprise
