I wanted to formally introduce myself as the new Co-Ordinator for the Carmarthenshire LGBTQ+ Project, taking over from Alex Bryant-Evans.
Alex has done some fantastic work over the last couple of years including, but not exclusively, creating the Carmarthenshire LGBTQ+ forum (please do let me know if you would like to join this which brings together statutory services,third sector organisations and community groups to connect and support the LGBTQ+ community), launching ReachOut; Wales’ first ever free LGBTQ+ community magazine, as well as hosting community engagement events and more. I am so excited and genuinely honoured to be taking the reins of this project now and not only continuing Alex’s work but bringing my own experience, knowledge, passion and dedication to the role to expand it and help support even more members of the LGBTQ+ community in Carmarthenshire and surrounding areas.
In the last six months I have been leading the Llanelli LGBTQ+ Support Group and many of you will already be aware of the events, activities, awareness days and more that have been successfully executed in this time. Additionally, I have set-up Llanelli’s first fully inclusive youth group aimed at LGBTQ+ young people called BeYOUth. In the next few months I am hoping to set-up a few different support groups around Carmarthenshire. I will be looking for venues to host meetings and events in these areas. As well as this I am incredibly excited to inform you of a new project which I will be launching which is a Trans “hub” (we are working on a different name!) to support the trans+ community across the county. This is something
I am extremely passionate about but also something that consultation has demonstrated a clear need for. It is an innovative, exciting but very much needed project and one that i have already received lots of interest in. I already have at least one volunteer keen to support this project which will have a youth and an adult section (with VERY strict safeguarding measures in place). Additionally, I am aiming to expand BeYOUth to ensure that more LGBTQ+ young people are supported and have access to a safe space led by DBS checked staff and volunteers who bring a whole host of experience with them. None of this is possible without The National Lottery Community Fund who support this project and to whom I am extremely grateful. There is a huge need for this project, as the last six months have proven within Llanelli alone, as has the work that Alex has already done.
My aim, naive though it may seem (maybe optimistic is a more accurate word), is to ensure that the entire LGBTQ+ community across Carmarthenshire and surrounding areas know where to find support, network with other members of the community as well as attend safe spaces where they will be respected and valued. Additionally, the LGBTQ+ community has experienced a rise in reported hate crime in recent years. They are one of the very few minority groups where reported hate crime is on the rise. There are two sides to this.
One is that people are understanding and reporting the hate crime they are experiencing but the other is the very harsh reality that the LGBTQ+ community, in our area, is being targeted on both large and small scales. I believe that education and awareness are key to solving this. Consequently I want to use the platform that I have been honoured with, to work on this; to educate others, to raise awareness across the county and help others understand the part they can play. True allyship for the community is more powerful than many understand.
If you would like to get in touch with me, to hear more about the project or my ideas and plans for it, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My direct email is sarah@carmslgbtqplus.org.uk
