Celebrating Pride Month!

Mosaic Trust 🌈

Based on North London, The Mosaic Trust are committed to building a strong and cohesive LGBT+ community that is safe and free from prejudice, with a hope to enable every LGBT+ young person to feel empowered, inspired and proud of who they are.

Their fantastic team of colleagues and volunteers organise numerous activities, programmes and services to provide essential resources, advocate for LGBT+ rights and embrace, promote and endorse the diversity of young people.

The Mosaic Youth Club is one of the life-changing programmes provided by the organisation. This is a weekly safe and supportive club for under 18s, encouraging members to make new friends and enjoy workshops exploring sexual health, queer history and more, all while being their true selves without fear of prejudice. Youth Club membership also includes access to Culture Club, a regular programme of discounted or free enriching trips to LGBT+ related cultural experiences.

Find out how you can get involved at https://www.mosaictrust.org.uk/get-involved.

Micro Rainbow 🌈

Micro Rainbow is an nation-wide organisation with a vision to create a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people are free from discrimination, persecution and have equal opportunities in life, including accessing employment, training, education, financial services, healthcare, housing, places of faith, and public services.

Some of the amazing projects they have been working on include:

- Providing safe housing to LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees.
- Facilitating access to employment, volunteering, training and education for LGBTQI refugees through their ‘Moving On’ programme.
- Providing social inclusion activities to reducing the extreme isolation faced by LGBTQI people.

Recognising that in 76 countries homosexuality is illegal and that 1,500 LGBTQI refugees from those countries come to the UK every year, Micro Rainbow opened the first safe house in the UK dedicated solely to supporting LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees. Because of their sexuality, gender identity, gender expression or intersex status they often still aren’t safe here. They may face being abused in refugee accommodation by other refugees who often come from the same countries they are escaping from, meaning they become homeless, depressed and living in poverty, rejected by their ethnic communities. Micro Rainbow provide a safe and temporary shelter from this.

Find out how you can get involved via https://microrainbow.org/become-an-ally/.

LGBT Youth Scotland 🌈

LGBT Youth Scotland support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) young people with their mental health and wellbeing as well as enabling them to build personal resilience and develop stronger connections within their communities.

A network of dedicated team members and 75+ volunteers run a selection of weekly youth groups for young people across Scotland aged 13 to 25, provide regular digital support groups, an interactive live chat system, and an online advice centre offering information on everything from parental advice to bullying and hate crime reporting.

In celebration of Pride Month, the organisation is currently sending out digital Pride Picnic Packs, encouraging people to come together outdoors and reconnect with loved ones whilst raising money for charity. So, why not invite your friends, get creative and make the most of this summer with a Pride Picnic? Order your kit here.

Find out other ways you can get involved via https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/get-involved/.

United Pride Friends 🌈

United Pride Friends is an empowering project that brings members of the LGBTQ+ community with Autism and learning difficulties together in a safe space that is accessible, accepting and confidential. The primary purpose of the group is to provide a befriending service, giving members a safe place to meet new people and make friends.

The project builds the confidence of its members through workshops and social events, as well as providing educational sessions where they discuss topics that affect their community such as safe sex, dealing with homophobia and discrimination, and coming out to friends and family.

The services they offer include: a befriending service, online webinars, group talking sessions, social media support groups, safe space meet ups, activities & events, education information and workshops.

Find out how you can get involved via https://www.unitedpridefriends.co.uk/contact.