Our work with young LGBT+ people has been nominated in the ‘Advice and Guidance’ category. This recognises the role of youth work and the provision of information, advice and guidance in enabling young people to make informed decisions about their lives.
The support provided by Services for Young People (SfYP) is impartial and needs-led, and young LGBT+ people are involved in developing resources for the weekly projects, which run across all ten districts of Hertfordshire for young people aged 13 to 17. There is also a countywide LGBT+ multicultural project and the LGBT+ youth voice project Who Not What. In addition, the LGBT+ schools project involves SfYP youth workers helping schools create more inclusive environments in their educational settings and improved systems to tackle issues such as bullying. SfYP regularly organises events for young LGBT+ people and, in collaboration with young LGBT+ people, we have built an informative website for young LGBT+ people in Hertfordshire, Young Pride in Herts.
The advice and guidance provided through these many projects improves outcomes for more than 1,500 young LGBT+ people in Hertfordshire each year, and the number of young people engaging with the services on offer is growing year on year. Young people have shown improved mental health, resilience and social skills as a result of taking part in the varied projects. The support has equipped them to confidently voice any barriers they face when accessing services, resulting in an increased number of young people seeking help without stigmatisation. This, in turn, has had a positive impact on how other services interact with and meet the needs of young LGBT+ people across the county.
Feedback from a young person:
“Before I started coming here, I felt there was some part of me that wasn’t there… So, it was like finding the missing bit of the puzzle.”
A member of the SfYP Youth Work Development Team said:
“Winning this award would be a great opportunity for us to showcase our work and share learning. It could lead to wide replication of the projects elsewhere, with a positive impact for young LGBT+ people across the UK.”
The winners will be announced on 24 November 2022.
Find out more about our support for young LGBT+ people here:
Support for young LGBT+ people in Hertfordshire
Young Pride in Herts on Twitter
Young Pride in Herts on Instagram
The LGBT+ support provided by SfYP is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
