News & Events

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Chatting with Karen Dresback, LGBTQ Advocacy Worker

By editor | 23/12/2020

What is your role at MindOut? I am an advocate and the member of the team who leads and takes on the majority of housing and over-50s cases. I help to link people in with housing services and make housing applications and transfer requests. I also put people in touch with other support services. For … Read more

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Meet Yasmin, our LGBTQ PoC group worker

By editor | 21/12/2020

Yasmin Kapadia has facilitated a number of peer support groups for MindOut including one for BAME service users. We are very happy that she will be facilitating our LGBTQ PoC peer support group starting in February. She also runs a private practice as an Integrative Transpersonal counsellor and works as a mental health mentor at … Read more

Black person with long hair and glasses smiling and looking down at their phone. they are outside and wearing a warm jacket and wooly hat.

Online and Telephone Counselling Works!

By editor | 21/12/2020

When we first went into lockdown in March, MindOut moved quickly to offer online and telephone sessions to our existing clients, so that they could complete their counselling. This soon led to us offering remote sessions to new clients. Uptake was slow in the beginning, both clients and counsellors alike had concerns about the effectiveness … Read more

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MindOut’s 12 Days of Winter Wellbeing

By editor | 21/12/2020

The festive season can be a difficult time of year for LGBTQ individuals and this Christmas is likely to be particularly isolating due to the pandemic.  You might be feeling lonely or you may be enduring an uncomfortable Christmas bubble with family. Here are MindOut’s top tips for staying mentally well this winter. Day 1. … Read more

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LGBTQ Over-50s Self-Advocacy Workshop

By editor | 10/12/2020

17th December 2020 1-3pm, via Zoom Facilitators: Karen Dresback, 50+ Project Advocacy Worker and Dawn Hayes, 50+Project Leader Self-advocacy is the skill of making your voice heard where it is otherwise silenced. This is particularly difficult for those of us who are often silenced in society through prejudice and discrimination. Self-advocating involves taking control of your … Read more

LGBTQ POC Peer Support Group

By editor | 10/12/2020

We are very excited to announce our new Peer Support Group for LGBTQ People of Colour will be starting in February 2021. The group will be facilitated by Yasmin Kapadia and will run via Zoom. The group will run for 90 minutes on Wednesday afternoons from February for 18 weeks. This will be online via … Read more

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MindOut Celebration Event 2020

By editor | 18/11/2020

Our Annual Celebration Event 2020 looks a little different this year! Check out the video as we reflect on the last year of MindOut’s achievements. We are also thrilled to present you with our Annual Report 2019-2020. Have a look and see what we’ve been up to.

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Trans awareness and trans remembrance

By editor | 17/11/2020

One of the most urgent and critical mental health issues in LGBTQ communities is the rate and intensity of suicidal distress for trans and non-binary people. 21 years ago we started offering mental health advocacy support to LGBTQ people. One of our first clients was Sarah. She came to us in crisis, extremely distressed. Sarah … Read more

Peer Support Groups open for new members

By editor | 12/10/2020

Managing our mental health and wellbeing can be challenging and at times isolating.  MindOut offers friendly, supportive groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer people, where you can share your experiences, talk about how you manage and find out what helps others. Our Peer Support Groups offer spaces to meet and connect with other … Read more

Talking About Mental Health For All

By editor | 08/10/2020

The World Mental Health Day, the theme is ‘Mental Health For All’. In this video, MindOut’s Kate and Kitty discuss LGBTQ mental health, as well as talking about why LGBTQ specific services are so crucial and why MindOut’s services work.

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Unable to take new referrals at the moment

Unfortunately due to staff shortages we are still unable to pick up any new requests for advocacy support at the moment.  We will review this temporary measure on Monday 19th  July, with a view to opening up the service the following week. In the meantime, we have prepared a list of other services that provide ... Read more
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MindOut staff and volunteers fly their rainbow flags online

This Pride month we asked staff and volunteers to take selfies and share their favourite rainbow flag designs online. Some grabbed pens or paintbrushes and others went beautifully off brief. What a wonderful creative bunch we are! It’s a small yet colourful way to celebrate in the light of so many Pride events being cancelled ... Read more
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Ex-service user, John Stephenson, talks to us on our 10 year anniversary of independence

Hi John. You were a service user back in 2011 and you have quite a story as to how you got here? Thanks for talking with me on this significant anniversary for MindOut. I am beyond grateful for your existence and the continued support of the people in Brighton & Hove and beyond! Back in ... Read more
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Self-Advocacy Workshop leaflet

Our 50+ self-advocacy workshops are here for you

We are running a series of bite sized Self Advocacy Workshops for people who are 50+. Self-advocacy is organising and speaking up for yourself to help you get what you want and need. Sometimes this isn’t always easy, especially for minority groups such as LGBTQ folk, who can be silenced and excluded due to prejudice ... Read more
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Trustee, Chris Clark, and his partner, wearing blue outdoor jackets and smiling in front of blue sky and green bushes.

Our trustee, Chris Clark, explains legacy gifts

I took the decision to write my will recently and chose to use an online service called FreeWill. Freewill provides an online guided template to help you to complete a legally-appropriate will, whilst avoiding high solicitor fees. As part of writing my will I included a wish to make a donation to a number of registered ... Read more
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Image has a pink border, and features the MindOut logo. In blue writing it shows the job role, and includes details of the post including hours and salary, closing date and date for interviews. Bottom of the image includes the MindOut website and charity number

Vacancy: LGBTQ People of Colour Development Manager

LGBTQ People of Colour Development Manager 35 hours per week Salary: £27,306 pa Join our dynamic, growing LGBTQ mental health service. You will lead our work to become an anti-racist organisation, promote mental health within LGBTQ PoC communities and identify the gaps. You will need: experience of mental health, strategic planning, community consultation and partnership ... Read more
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Colin, a MindOut volunteer, wearing a rainbow mask and next to a dog wearing a rainbow flag

Catching up with Colin: a MindOut Peer Mentoring volunteer

What is your volunteer role at MindOut? I am a Peer Mentor, which means I support and listen to someone who may be struggling with their day to day life for various reasons. I have also helped out with the Befriending service which aims to combat loneliness and provide a lifeline over the telephone which ... Read more
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Charlie, a MindOur Volunteer, wearing a T shirt with the slogan Boys Get Sad Too

Chats with Charlie: a MindOut Online Support volunteer

What is your volunteer role? Online Support Volunteer When did you start volunteering? June 2020 What inspired you to volunteer for MindOut? I’ve always wanted to volunteer for an LGBTQ charity, although due to work commitments I could never find the time to commit to the training. Then, in 2020 I found myself in the ... Read more
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MindOut’s CEO shortlisted for award

We are delighted to announce that Helen Jones has been named as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Contributors to LGBT+ Life 2021. ‘I am so honoured to have been nominated and so honoured to be on such an amazing list of people, all of whom are incredible!  I would like to thank the brilliant ... Read more
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