Vibe receives funding to reintroduce Be Yourself sessions for Liverpool City Region LQBTQIA+ community

Liverpool charity Vibe has been awarded £5,000 by the Community Foundation for Merseyside in order to provide a safe space for young people in the region’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Vibe offers a range of clubs and programmes in the Liverpool City Region and is dedicated to supporting young people to build positive relationships with themselves and others in the community.

The Be Yourself programme is for young people aged 11-19 who identify as LGBTQIA+ and provides a safe social space and now, thanks to the new funding, Vibe will be able to run sessions for the next six months through to November.

Helping youngsters build confidence and make new friends, Be Yourself offers informal education and information around health and specific LGBT history.

Young people are consulted to help shape the Be Yourself programme which includes trips to the beach, the zoo and local museums.

The programme helped more than 20 youngsters in the region when it was first rolled out and was nominated for the National Diversity Awards 2021. Four new members have already joined since Vibe reintroduced the sessions in June during Pride Month.

The charity successfully applied for Community Cashback after support from the Chief of Police.

Vibe received £5,000 from Community Foundation for Merseyside, a local charity that facilitates charitable giving and contributes to achieving positive social change.

Vibe CEO Paul Oginsky said: “Be Yourself provides a safe space for young people to be their true self without fear of judgment. 

“We work with the young people to provide education, information and cater activities around their interests.

“The Be Yourself programme was a huge success and we are delighted to receive funding in order to reintroduce the sessions which will run for the next six months.”

Be Yourself sessions take place every Tuesday between 5pm and 7pm in Kirkby. 

If you identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community and wish to attend, you can fill in a registration form at the Vibe website here: https://vibeuk.org/be-yourself