Gay Cumbria - GLBT Youth

Gaycumbria.com is committed to helping the youth of the county. We hope to strengthen links between us and Cumbria connexions so that the two can work side by side for the benefit of young people.

Cumbria Connexions

The North Cumbria GLBT youth group was launched in March 2004.

The project offers:

One-to-one support: you can talk about your concerns confidentially to someone who will listen and take your concerns seriously.

Weekly group meetings: the social group meets each week in Carlisle and Workington, here you can relax, get some ‘peer support’, meet new people, get informed on how to look after yourself, discuss issues affecting your life, become involved with the planning and future direction of the group. The atmosphere is relaxed and non-judgemental.

Other activities include: ‘adventure days’ in the lake district, DJ lessons on how to use music deck from our support worker instructor and visits to other GLBT youth group events.

The project worker is a member of the national consortium of GLBT youth workers and conducts awareness raising sessions/workshops to wider society, aimed at addressing homophobia, heterosexism and transphobia. The project has a mobile display stand which is staffed at selected events such as health seminars, connexions open days and as part of the connexions mobile office service to access young people in remote rural areas.

PinC in West Cumbria

Well its official, after their second meeting in West Cumbria, the GLBT youth group has decided on a name. It is now called PinC (Pride-in-Cumbria).

Well done to the one who had the imagination to think it up. All that’s needed now is a logo, but I’m sure it will be very fitting for the group.

As soon as the logo is Designed we will add it to the youth section on here.

New Funding Secured

As part of my work, I have been funded (by The Big Lottery Fund) to to develop LGBT issues peer education workshops. Developed by GLBT young people across this part of the county. This will be in partnership with PinC, Cumbria Youth Alliance’s Having a Voice Project and Young Cumbria. The youth workers involved will be there purely to support the young who want to take part in the project.

PinC Residential

PinC held a residential last weekend. 9 young people plus workers from both West Cumbria and Carlisle areas stayed at the Young Cumbria cottage (no ‘cottage’ quips please) on the shore of Derwentwater near Keswick. The aim was to help improve individual self esteem/confidence and provide a basis for teamwork, and of course to have fun!
On friday we settled in, cooked a meal followed by some thought provoking workshop type stuff and of course the mandatory sitting up late and telling scary stories (watch out for the ‘dog headed men’ who emerge from the lake at night lusting after human blood!).

Saturday was rock climbing in the morning at the Keswick climbing wall. Afternoon was orienteering at Whinlatter. In the evening we had a full sit down Xmas dinner followed by party games and a bit of ‘theatre’.

Sunday was, more outdoor stuff in Borrowdale, team building stuff, mountain biking, problem solving, tree (high) climbing, ‘crate stacking’ (there is more fun to that than it sounds) and archery. By dark on Sunday the group was tired but buzzing. It was really so good, the young people all got into the spirit of the weekend that made it a great success, one of the highlights of PinC’s year.

A good way to finish the projects second year, a year in which the membership has grown so much, has extended into West Cumbria, has formally included transgender young people, young PinC members have represented the group in ‘mainstream’ youth residential's, Divine and Fraggle’s research was presented to the whole of Connexions North team, we attended the national Queer youth alliance conference in Manchester, Visited LGBT Scotland in Dumfries, we have just received a very good feedback from an external audit and showed a presence in Carlisle city centre last month.

Next year there is lots planned and will be more that we haven't even thought of yet including, something big to mark Lesbian and Gay history month in february, a planned residential in March, the Queeryouth conference and Manchester pride in the summer and get together's with groups in Scotland and from the Barrow area.

If you would like any further information on the GLBT youth work please contact Pete Bancroft on 077743266317 or 01228596272, or drop in to any connexions centre and ask for the GLBT project worker. Alternatively contact Winkte, Divine or Bad_Ikkle_Fraggle via the forums.