Allsorts Youth Project is an

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

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. Founded in 1999 by Jess Wood and James Newton, the project aims to meet the needs of

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

trans Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (film ...

* and unsure youth in

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and the wider East Sussex area.

History

Since 1999 the project has expanded to meet the develop needs of LGBTU youth. Allsorts has developed to offer 1-2-1 support via a range of mediums, a weekly central drop-in for 16-25 youth and many satellite groups. The project has been funded through various organisations and grants to expand from LGB support to include trans and gender questioning young people.

Mission

Allsorts works to raise awareness, promote good practice and facilitate the creation of safer and more supportive environments for LGBT young people in the wider community.

Services

Some of the main services Allsorts provide include

One to One Support

Support Groups

Allsorts have a number of satellite groups that support their main drop-in: * A young men's group: Male Matters * A young women's group: No Dress Code * A Bi/pan/queer/poly/omni group: Bi Brighton * A trans group: Transformers * A wellbeing group: A-Sorted Allsorts recently expanded the capacity of their trans* and gender questioning young people's group 'Transformers' with funding from the Rainbow Fund

Peer education

Allsorts Youth Projects runs a '

peer education Peer education is an approach to health promotion, in which community members are supported to promote health-enhancing change among their peers. Peer education is the teaching or sharing of health information, values and behavior in educating othe ...

' programme which involves trained workers alongside young people at the project facilitating workshops in schools, colleges and youth projects. Started in 2005, the programme, the workshops explore the impact of homo/bi/trans-phobic language on young people. The programme has been identified as good practice by Stonewall. Brighton & Hove council acknowledged the large collaborative role Allsort Peer Education has played in the city council being named to in the country in Stonewall's Education Equality Index.

Resources

Allsorts have produced numerous resources, including a mental health support and resource booklet for LGBT Youth called 'Healthy Heads and Hearts'. An anthology of writings by LGB youth called 'Deep Blue Sea'. They have also produced resources on Gay/Bi/Trans men's sexual health and HIV awareness, and a leaflet on 'Sex, Love & Coming Out'

Campaigns

Young People's Voice is the youth campaigning and engagement project at Allsorts for LGBT Youth. They have done annual campaigns for IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homo/BI/Trans-phobia). For IDAHOBIT the group presented their 'Global Voices' campaign at Brighton's Old Stiene. On 5 February 2013, they launched the first annual LGBT Children, Young People and Families Day with: a Tea Party for CVS groups, practitioners, an LGBT + Allies Youth Prom and a Champions Dinners to showcase the project. The Day was covered by

ITV Meridian ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned an ...

news, with a feature article and interview on their website. The Day was supported by Mental Health Promotion, Rainbow Fund, Moshi Moshi, Hotel du Vin and Hilton Metropole.

Funding

Allsorts have been funded by numerous large organisations over the years. Including Children in Need which highlighted the work they do in a video interview. For 2012-2013 are one Brighton & Hove Mayor's chosen charities to support alongside The Marlets Hospice and Brighton Women's Centre

Awards

The project is led by the Project Director Jess Wood who in 2012 was awarded an MBE for her services for working with young LGBT people through the charity. Their volunteering group Young People's Voice won best regional volunteering group team for the South East from vInspired for their Peer Educators programme. They also received the 'Working Together' award from the Brighton and Hove Council LGBT Workers Forum as part of their History Awards 2012 for their work in schools with Peer Education.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Allsorts Youth Project LGBT culture in the United Kingdom LGBT youth organisations based in the United Kingdom Youth councils Organizations established in 1999 Organisations based in East Sussex 1999 establishments in England