LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire offers one to one and group support for LGBT+ young people in Nottinghamshire.
Who
The project focuses on LGBT+ young people from Nottinghamshire and is run by the Centre Place.
What
Young people who attend The Centre Place youth hub have control over how the space looks and what activities they do. Support workers run one to one and group sessions where LGBT+ young people decide on topics of discussion.
Where
Worksop, Nottinghamshire
When
2019-2021
LGBT+ young people are often socially isolated. Some project participants aren’t attending school, some are too anxious to socialise and lack confidence. The Centre Place gives young people the control over how the youth hub looks to help them engage and grow in confidence. The project's three support groups provide a safe and welcoming environment for project members to share their experiences, explore issues and form social connections.
The Centre Place is a safe space for people to make friendships and share their experiences with others that can relate to them. These friendships are often sustained outside of the centre with online group chats. Having this support system has helped some participants have the courage to re-enter education, voice their experiences and socialise with their peers.
As well as providing a fun space to socialise, participants also discuss specific issues impacting LGBT+ young people such as mental health problems and hate crime. The young people choose some of the topics and how we approach them. For example, participants are working with schools to provide training on dealing with homophobic and transphobic bullying.
Taking ownership over the project is a real confidence boost and helps the members feel more confident in other aspects of their life as well.
Project participant
