Volunteering and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities

 

In York and North Yorkshire there are a range of volunteer-supported organisations that offer much needed services to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, including LGBT youth groups, LGBT peer mentoring projects for under-25s, health promotion services including sexual health, social groups, support networks, and events.  

 

Volunteering is important to the delivery of LGBT community and health services, as well as to LGBT people who volunteer.

 

In the case of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations, many are very small and entirely volunteer-run. Without these volunteers, LGBT people throughout the country would lack crucial support and services.

 

The Commission on the Future of Volunteering:  Manifesto for Change, 2008, p.9

Volunteering for LGBT services

 

Volunteer Centres strive to offer welcoming, open and accessible services for everyone.  

 

Volunteer Centres hold information on a wide variety of volunteering opportunities, including LGBT opportunities where they are available.

 

If you want to volunteer for LGBT services in York and North Yorkshire, or want to get involved in local LGBT groups and activities, please ask about LGBT opportunities at your local Volunteer Centre.  

 

There are two LGBT organisations that operate in York and North Yorkshire, and you may like to contact them directly to find out about volunteering opportunities, activities, and services, Yorkshire MESMAC and OLGA (Older Lesbian and Gay Association).  See Links and Resources, below, for contact details.

 

Volunteering for non-LGBT services

 

If you are interested in volunteering for non-LGBT organisations and services, your local Volunteer Centre will assist you to find out what volunteering opportunities are available.  

 

The majority of organisations that offer volunteering opportunities are welcoming and accessible, but local research suggests that some LGBT people may be deterred from volunteering in non-LGBT organisations, due to discrimination that has either been experienced before, or is anticipated.

 

Volunteer Centres offer comprehensive volunteer management training, and distribute good practice guidance to organisations, and this covers equal opportunities and diversity, including sexual orientation.  

 

In addition, both MESMAC and OLGA offer a range of training courses to organisations to enable them to operate in ways that are more welcoming to LGBT people.

 

Links and resources

 

A toolkit developed by Yorkshire MESMAC to help voluntary sector organisations effectively recruit, develop and support volunteers from Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) communities:

 

Link/download to Vol & Queer toolkit

 

If you’d like to know more about volunteering for MESMAC, please download the Yorkshire MESMAC Introduction to Volunteering:

 

Link/download to volunteering introduction

 

Yorkshire MESMAC offers a range of training courses to organisations to enable them to develop good practice in working with LGB people.  Download the training guide, below, and contact Yorkshire MESMAC for dates of scheduled courses:

 

Link/download to training

 

Yorkshire MESMAC works with LGBT people across North and West Yorkshire, offering a range of direct services, activities, social groups, training and consultancy.  

 

www.mesmac.co.uk

 

OLGA (Older Lesbian and Gay Association) exists to support the older LGBT community.  They offer training to organisations on working with older LGBT people.  You can contact them on 07929 465044 or write to the office at: PO Box 458, Scarborough, YO11 9EH

 

If you’ve had a good or bad experience volunteering, or if you’d like to suggest a way we improve our services, we’d love to hear about it. Please fill out one of these forms depending on your experiences.

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