Who we are & What we do

• GAY-GLOS was founded simply as a Helpline in September 1989.
     We commenced our Telephone Support Helpline and Face to Face Meeting services in March 1990
     and Email Support Helpline service in January 1998.
     In December 2011, following a decline in the preceeding years in the level of access to our
     personal support services, we ceased providing Telephone Helpline, Face to Face Meetings and
     Email Helpline direct support services.
  
  
• Over the past 23 years we have expanded into:
  • Strategic Engagement (see below for an explanation of this term).
  • External Training and Education Programmes for Schools and Colleges.
  • In July 2012 we ran our first young people's social group for LGB&T people and those exploring their
       sexual orientation. See our youth group page for more details.
    
    
• See our key points in our history page for further information.
  
  
• We are a locally run voluntary organisation, funded during 2011 / 2012 by:
  • Allen Lane Foundation
  • Gloucestershire County Council
  • Gloucester City Council
  • Earned Income
  • Fund Raising events
  • Private Donations (see donations page)
    
    
• We work closely with many local voluntary and statutory agencies.
  
  
• We provide external training on gay and lesbian related issues including equality and diversity.
  
  
• We deliver sessions to colleges and to secondary school pupils in Gloucestershire as part of Personal Social & Health Education and
     Citizenship curricula.
  
  
• We are an equal opportunities organisation supporting equality and diversity.
  
  
• Our patron, since 1994, is Sir Ian McKellen.
  
  
• GAY-GLOS is a registered charity (number 1149572).

 

 

 

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STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT:

Gloucestershire has many boards, networks and groups which feed into the decision making processes in the county for delivery of services. 15 years ago the needs of LGB&T people were generally not considered or understood when plans were being drawn up. Over that time GAY-GLOS has been actively involved in a wide range of voluntary sector and cross-sector partnerships and had a significant impact on the thinking processes. We have on many occasions been invited to be a member of boards and groups recognising not only that the input from an LGB&T organisation is vital but that we can bring good generalist strategic thinking to the table. Involvement of a wide range of partners endeavours to ensure inclusive approaches are adopted.

There have been many changes to the structures over the last few years but GAY-GLOS has maintained its involvement in these where they have continued and whenever possible. In recent years these have included:

• Gloucestershire Voluntary Sector Assembly’s Board – now replaced by the Gloucestershire VCS Alliance.
• Assembly sub groups: Stronger & Safer Communities as vice chair; Health and Wellbeing; Mental Health.
• County Equalities & Diversity Group, combined with Statutory partners.
• Hate Crime and Incidents Groups at County and District levels (chair in Forest & Gloucester).
• Safer Gloucester Leadership Group.
• Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Strategic Board (including separate working groups for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences).
• Sexual Health Strategic Group.
• Suicide & Self Harm Reference Group.
• Gloucestershire LINk Stewardship Board and Transition Group – now replaced by Healthwatch Gloucestershire.

In addition to involvement in such groups GAY-GLOS has been commissioned to undertake specific pieces of work in recognition of this involvement and the skills within the organisation. GAY-GLOS is fully committed to maintaining this engagement to ensure that there is a conduit for an LGB&T perspective at strategic level in Gloucestershire.