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Carl Austin-Behan

he/him Contact Patron

Carl is a former Board Member and President of Contact. He was a Labour Councillor for Burnage from 2011-2018 and became Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor and one of its youngest at age 44 in 2016. He served as LGBT adviser to the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2018 – 2022 and became Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ Community Ambassador for the LGBT Foundation in 2022. Other roles include Trustee of Fighting with Pride, Ambassador for The Proud Trust and George House Trust, Co-Chair of Pro-Manchester Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Network, and Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester. He was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List for services to charity, LGBTQ+ equality and the community in Greater Manchester.

“There is so much young talent in the North West and I’m proud to support Contact as a place that celebrates and represents the identities and diversity across the whole cultural spectrum, creating opportunities for everyone.”

A white male in his 50s wearing a hoodie and smiling

Related items

  1. What Matters To Us, in Oxford Road Corridor's Zine- Autumn Edition

    20 November 2025
    Did you spot us on the front page of Oxford Road Corridor’s latest zine? The piece by our CEO, Jack-Dale Dowd, looks at why the work Contact does matters to young people, our audiences and the wider Manchester community. On the 13th…
  2. text reads changeling annual 2023 out now, physical copy £10 digital copy £3

    Changeling Annual 2023 is OUT NOW!

    30 May 2023
    Changeling Annual is a collection of activities, comics, illustration, poetry, and short fiction for children. It’s a one-of-a-kind publication, because it ONLY features neurodivergent talent.
  3. An Update from Contact

    14 December 2023
    The completion of Contact’s recent capital development project endured substantial delays due to Covid and resulted in major increases in the costs of running the building. The business model produced many years ago to support the capital…

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Please be aware that Contact will not tolerate abusive language or threatening behaviour towards our staff. If you are deemed to be behaving inappropriately you will be asked to leave the premises and reported to the police.

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