The LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire has received £37,476 of funding raised through the Health Lottery East Midlands and distributed by People’s Health Trust for their two-year project to support young people aged 11-25 years old across Mansfield, Worksop, Retford and Sutton-in-Ashfield.
The project provides a vital lifeline to form social links and build friendships with peer groups and provides specialist one-to-one, group and counselling services for LGBTQ+ young people and their families, including important specialist support services for transgender people. It also works with local and national LGBTQ+ organisations to expand their expertise and support for over 200 children and young adults in Nottinghamshire each year.
Helen Azar, Director of LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire, said: “The LGBTQ+ service branched from a wider support project that we started in 1996 to support children and adults experiencing poverty and homelessness, support services for young parents, educational services for young adults and more.
“However, over the course of the project, we realised that one of reasons why those young adults were homeless was due to family disputes centred on their sexual orientation – and that was when the LGBTQ+ support project started in 2009. We have continued to grow and have been supporting children and young adults since.”.
During lockdown, where the support was needed the most, the project continued to support participants by moving all of their services to online or phone platforms, distributing guidance, holding further online training for staff, and increasing the number of support groups available.
Commenting on the funding using money raised through the Health Lottery, Helen added: “Through the funding, we were able to expand our services and gather the evidence that we needed to show how much impact the service has had for children in the local LGBT+ community, and to increase our visibility to reach those who are in need of our services.”
For more info on LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire, CLICK HERE.
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