GALYIC 

ANNUAL REPORT 

1st August 2002 - 31st July 2003

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
CALDERDALE
WEST YORKSHIRE:  LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY CONTEXT
ANNUAL REPORT
1.	STAFFING
2.	STAFF TRAINING
3.	VENUE
4.	OFFICE
5.	EQUIPMENT
6.	MANAGEMENT/STEERING GROUP
7.	POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
8.	FINANCES/FUNDING
9.	SERVICES
10.	YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITIES
11.	MEMBERSHIP
11.1	Joint Working with Other Agencies
11.2	Contact with Ex-Members
12.	REFERRALS
13.	WEB SITE
14.	PUBLICITY
15.	OUTREACH/NETWORKING
15.1	Local
15.2	Regional
15.3	National
16.	TRAINING
16.1	Homophobia Awareness Module
16.2	NSPCC
16.3	Victim Support
16.4	SmartMove
17.	HOMOPHOBIC HATE CRIME
18.	WORKING WITH SCHOOLS
18.1	Bullying Report
18.2	Todmorden High School
19.	LESBIAN AND GAY HEALTH RESEARCH
19.1	Health Plan
19.2	Interviews
20.	STRATEGY WORK
20.1	Suicide Reduction Strategy
20.2	Department of Health External Advisory Group
20.3	Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Strategy
20.4	Department of Trade and Industry Consultation
20.5	West Yorkshire Connexions:  Equality and Diversity
21.	FUTURE PRIORITIES
21.1	Management
21.2	Youth Group
21.3	Development Work
21.4	Strategic Work

Acknowledgements

APPENDICES
Appendix A:  Annual Accounts
Appendix B:  The British Psychological Society Position Paper:  Child Protection
Appendix C:  NSPCC Evaluation
Appendix D:  Victim Support Evaluation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background
Calderdale has a population of 193,700 of whom approximately 1,765 will be lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) young people aged between 13 and 25 years.
GALYIC (Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale) is the youngest of the five LGB youth groups in West Yorkshire.

Staffing
There are three members of staff:  Project Co-ordinator, Office Administrator (not in post), and a part-time youth worker. A volunteer helps run the youth group and two member volunteers are responsible for the website.

Staff Training
Project Co-ordinator awarded the Introduction Certificate to Management.
Youth Worker successfully completed the local part-time youth work qualification.  The two member volunteers attended a ten-week homophobia awareness training course.

Venue
The youth group meets in a central venue in Halifax that is rented from Calderdale MBC Social Services.

Office
The workers are based in a centrally located office in Halifax rented from a housing organisation - SmartMove.

Equipment
The office is now almost fully equipped, there are just a few outstanding items to acquire.

GALYIC Management/Steering Group
Unfortunately, due to difficulties in attracting and maintaining the membership of LOGIC (Lesbian or Gay in Calderdale including Bisexuals and Transpeople), the group was forced to close.  However, the Steering Group for GALYIC continues to grow with a membership of nine individuals who represent various voluntary and statutory agencies in Calderdale.  There are also two GALYIC member representatives.  
The Steering Group provides line management for the project co-ordinator who supervises the office administrator, part-time youth worker and volunteers.  The Project Co-ordinator also receives clinical supervision regularly.

Policies and Procedures
GALYIC are currently working to the policies and procedures of Calderdale Youth Service although some of these need adapting.

Finances/Funding
PAYE is completed by an outside agency and the Finance Officer has produced the annual accounts.

The Comic Relief funding runs out in March 2004; a grant of £30,000 was awarded from West Yorkshire Connexions, this too runs out in March 2004.  Other small grants have been received from Calderdale Youth Service and Communities Against Drugs.

GALYIC Services
GALYIC have provided a range of services over the year including 1-1 support, befriending, advice & information, referrals, advocacy, access to training and volunteering, as well as a weekly youth group and helpline.
Members have attended several local, regional and national events as well as organising a regional Christmas party for the five LGB youth groups.

GALYIC Membership
Thirty-one young people have contacted GALYIC during this period. Twenty-two have attended the youth group of whom fifteen are new this year.  This includes fourteen young women and seven young men.  
The number of young people contacting GALYIC is continuing to rise with significantly more young men than before.
Issues raised have included:  mental health (suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, phobias); alcohol and drug abuse; homelessness; family breakdown; parental homophobic emotional abuse; bullying; coming out to parents.
Several ex-members have been in touch.  Many are doing well and one young woman, who had many problems, is now in a hostel for women with mental health problems in a nearby town.

Referrals
The number of agencies referring young people to GALYIC is increasing.  This year referrals have come from a school nurse, a doctor, a teacher, and the Youth Information Shop.

GALYIC Web Site
The two member volunteers have done an excellent job on the web site.  It provides a wealth of information and was adapted for the first ever television interactive service in Kirklees.

Publicity
Thanks to a grant from Communities Against Drugs the publicity campaign on the side of buses has continued to run many months after it was due to finish.  This has given GALYIC a higher profile in Calderdale.  Posters are displayed in many public buildings and youth centres. Difficulties in displaying the poster in schools and GP’s surgeries continue.  Articles about the work of GALYIC have appeared in local, regional and national media.

Outreach/Networking
The Inter Agency Group no longer meets but much of its role has been taken over by the Steering Group and outreach work.  
There has been significant outreach and networking with local, regional and national agencies, including Family Planning Service, Child & Adolescent Mental Health, Social Services Outreach Team, Careers Service, Housing agencies.

Training
GALYIC have provided awareness training for Victim Support, NSPCC, and SmartMove as well as running the fourth homophobia awareness from a multi-oppression perspective in Halifax.

Homophobic Hate Crime
Several meetings have been held with the police, Victim Support and the Racial Harassment Officer for Calderdale MBC. GALYIC gave a presentation at the launch of the hate crime helpline and a volunteer from Victim Support attended the homophobia awareness module.  GALYIC are looking at becoming a Hate Incident Reporting Centre. 

Working With Schools
GALYIC produced a report, Preventing Homophobic Bullying in Schools in Calderdale and launched it at Halifax Town Hall.  Speakers included a member of GALYIC, the mother of a young man who is being bullied, the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the Schools Improvement Service.  Several hundred copies have been distributed and the report has been referred to by various national agencies.  As a result of the report a meeting has been held with Schools Improvement Service and homophobic bullying will be included in the revised anti-bullying policy as well as the new healthy schools programme.
A presentation was given to the Board of Governors at Todmorden High School.  It is hoped to set up a group to look at how to tackle homophobic bullying in this school.

Lesbian and Gay Health/Research
The literature review conducted in 2002 is being extended and reports, using the Bullying Report as a model, are to be produced on Alcohol and Drug Misuse, Mental and Sexual Health.  Two more interviews with young people have been transcribed and a further interview taken place bringing the total up to 23.

Strategic Work
On a national level, GALYIC have responded to the government's Suicide Reduction Strategy and Teenage Reduction Strategy; GALYIC have also been involved with the Department of Health External Advisory Group; Department of Trade and Industry Consultation.  Regionally, GALYIC are represented on the West Yorkshire Connexions Equality and Diversity Policy Group.

Future Priorities
The main priority is acquiring funding from April 2004 to enable the significant development of GALYIC to continue.

Appendices
A.	End of Year Accounts
B.	Position Paper from the British Psychology Society on Child Protection
C.	Training Evaluation Report - Homophobia Awareness Module - NSPCC 
D.	Training Evaluation Report – Homophobia Awareness Module - Victim Support.

GALYIC ANNUAL REPORT 
1st August 2002 - 31st July 2003

BACKGROUND

CALDERDALE
Calderdale is a semi-rural area with a population of 193,700 of whom 4.6% are minority ethnic, an estimated 5% are lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB), and 5% are disabled.  Unemployment is 3% of the population which is slightly higher than the national average.   Most of the inhabitants live in the main town Halifax (88,000) and smaller towns which are spread throughout the valleys including Brighouse (35,600),Sowerby Bridge (21,400), Elland (19,100), Todmorden (15,200), and Hebden Bridge (12,700) . 

Youth Population
There are 17,555 13-19 year olds in Calderdale and 16,070 20-25 year olds.  Based on 5% of the youth population being LGB, there will be 875 aged 13-19 will be LGB young people with a further 800 20-25 year olds.2
There are 1,800 minority ethnic young people aged 13-19.  A proportion of these, possibly 5% (90), will be LGB.
An estimated 875 young people aged 13-19 will be disabled, of whom around 5% will also be LGB (43).
About 175 pregnancies occur each year in Calderdale in young women aged 18 years and below, approximately 66% of whom keep their babies.  LGB young people are twice as likely as heterosexual young people to beget a child or become pregnant.
Three-hundred-and-forty young people are registered with drug and substance misuse agencies.  A significant proportion of these are likely to be LGB as it is estimated that around one-third of LGB people have alcohol/drugs problems that usually start in adolescence.
There were about 1,000 young people registered as NEET (not in education, employment or training) during the period October - December 2002.  Given that many LGB young people drop out of school and training because of homophobic bullying it is likely that a lot of those young people registered as NEET will be LGB.
Ninety-one young people were treated as outpatients and 22 as inpatients for mental health problems.  LGB people, especially youth, are more likely to have mental health problems than heterosexuals; it is possible that they are six times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth.
WEST YORKSHIRE:  LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY CONTEXT
Many of Calderdale's neighbouring towns and cities, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, have a gay 'scene' with recognised gay pubs/clubs as well as other lesbian and gay groups and organisations such as switchboards (Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield). Bradford are about to open a lesbian and gay centre.  Mesmac, an HIV/AIDS prevention agency who work with men who have sex with men covers most of Yorkshire, excluding Calderdale and Kirklees.  MSM provide HIV/AIDS prevention work with men who have sex with men in Calderdale and Kirklees.  There is no gay scene in Calderdale apart from a large lesbian 'community' in the upper valley around Hebden Bridge and Todmorden which includes two gay-friendly venues, a monthly disco and several ad hoc lesbian groups; Pink Parents, a social and support group for lesbian, gay and bisexual people who are parents,  is a recently formed group.  HAGG (Halifax Area Gay Group) has existed for about 26 years; it is a voluntary social group attended by mainly gay men who are aged 30+, they meet weekly in Halifax.
LGBT youth groups exist in Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield and Halifax.  

Leeds:  Out to Twenty was set up in 1993 by Mesmac (Young Lesbian Group set up by lesbian activists); there are now several groups run by Leeds Youth Service who provide a 24 hour post and two 12 hour posts.
A full-time worker at the Children's Society in Leeds heads up the Speak Out project which trains young LGBT people to take part in training and giving inputs at local, regional, national and international events.  Up to now this project has mainly worked with the youth groups in Leeds and Bradford.  The project also includes work on policy development within the Children's Society which, in turn, can influence national policy.

Bradford:  Blagy (Bradford Lesbian and Gay Youth) was set up in 1996 by Mesmac and Bradford Youth Service; Bradford Youth Service provide 18 hours youth work sessions.  Blagy are also a voluntary organisation and have had funding from several external bodies.  Their external funding is about to run out.

Huddersfield:  LesBiGay was set up in c.1997 by Kirklees Youth Service who provide a half-time post and 7 part-time hours.

Wakefield:  Fruitbowl was set up in 1997 by Mesmac who run the group as part of their sexual health programme.  There is no input from the local authority Youth Service.

Calderdale:  GALYIC (Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale) was set up in 1999 by the researcher, Jan Bridget, and a group of young people who took part in the research project.  Calderdale Youth Service provided free premises, a small start-up grant and one part-time session (three hours).  
Whilst in the other areas (apart from Wakefield) support from local authority Youth Services has increased, in Calderdale it has remained the same with a 3-hour post and limited annual grant (£500 this year - a 50% reduction on last year).  
For the first two years of its existence, without adequate funding, GALYIC was unable to develop.  In April 2001 GALYIC was awarded funding from Comic Relief for three years, this is due to end in March 2004.  As a result of the Comic Relief funding, GALYIC has developed significantly.
This report covers the activities and development of GALYIC for the period 1st August 2001 to 31st July 2002. 

ANNUAL REPORT

1.	STAFFING
Jan Bridget is the Project Co-ordinator working on a four-day week with Comic Relief funding.  Jan has over 16 years experience of working with LGB young people. 
In May 2003 a full-time office administrator took up post with funding from West Yorkshire Connexions.  However, he resigned after only a month, one of the main reasons being the distressing situation facing GALYIC members.  
Jan also runs the youth group with Paula Atherill, the part-time youth worker (three hours per week) and Julie Smith a volunteer.  Paula and Julie have been involved with GALYIC for over three years now.  Paula is a statistician and was the researcher for the Calderdale Homophobic Hate Crime Project; she also works part-time for other youth groups in Calderdale.  Julie is a psychology student.  Melissa Coton and Nicola Sirmond are two member volunteers. 
Efforts have been made to find a gay worker, this has included discussions with four gay men.  However, they were either unsuitable or were not interested in youth work.  This is a problem in West Yorkshire and across the country.

 2.   STAFF TRAINING
Paula Atherill has been awarded the part time youth work certificate.
Jan Bridget attended a five-day Introduction to Management Course and has been awarded a certificate from the Institute of Management, as well as a one-day training on racism awareness at West Yorkshire Connexions.
The two GALYIC volunteers attended the ten week Homophobia Awareness Training module.

3.   VENUE
The youth group meets at a venue in the town centre which is rented from Social Services for £15 per session.  This includes a large room with activities such as pool, table-tennis, darts, games, arts and crafts, television, video, kitchen and soft chairs.  It is an excellent venue apart from not being disabled accessible.  There are few venues in central Halifax that have disabled access.  It is crucial to keep the venue in the town centre for easier access for young people from across Calderdale.

4.   OFFICE
The GALYIC office is at 9 Portland Place within the SmartMove office.  The rent is £2,750 p.a.  It is a large room where the Steering Group meets and is situated in the centre of town.  The office is not wheel-chair accessible but SmartMove allow GALYIC to hold meetings downstairs and are hoping to install an accessible toilet.  The office is also used as a drop-in, particularly on Thursday afternoons.

5.   EQUIPMENT
With funding from Communities Against Drugs, GALYIC have been able to acquire a new desk top computer, printer and other accessories.  Funding from West Yorkshire Connexions has allowed GALYIC to purchase other items of office furniture including tables, chairs, stationery cabinet.  A display board and dance mat (for the youth group) were bought from the Comic Relief grant.  The office is almost fully equipped.  Melissa and Nicola, the two member volunteers, have helped to arrange the office and display boards.  

6.   MANAGEMENT/STEERING GROUP
Whilst a lot of work was put into acquiring company limited status for LOGIC (Lesbian or Gay in Calderdale), an umbrella organisation which hoped to identify gaps in provision of services and acquire funding to develop and manage services, LOGIC was forced to close down due to lack of interest from LGB people.  The grant of £470 from Calderdale MBC has been returned.
The GALYIC Steering Group has continued to develop and includes representatives from the Youth Service (Graham Griffiths, Bal Gill); Youth Information Shop (Olinda Oleksewycz), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (Stuart Taylor), Social Services (Wendy Brigstock), CYIPS (Calderdale Supported Lodgings Scheme, Stonham Housing, Pam Rhodes), NSPCC (Julia Hall), Halifax Area Gay Group (Peter Stocks) and Pauline Nash. Melissa Coton and Nicola Sirmond are the GALYIC representatives.
The Steering Group meets every month and has taken over part of the role of the Inter Agency Group (IAG) which has now stood down.  The IAG was founded the same time as GALYIC with a remit of making services accessible to LGB young people.  It met four times a year for three years.
It is hoped that in the near future the Steering Group will become the Management Committee and GALYIC will acquire company limited and charitable status.
The Project Co-ordinator is responsible to the Steering Group with Pauline Nash being the line manager.  Paula Atherill is line managed by the Project Co-ordinator and Bal Gill of the Youth Service.  The Project Co-ordinator is responsible for volunteers and, when appointed, the Office Administrator.
Bev Harden, Calderdale NHS Adult Psychology and Counselling Services, is providing regular clinical supervision for the Project Co-ordinator.

7.   POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Currently GALYIC are working to the policies and procedures of Calderdale Youth Service.  However, many of these need adapting to become more appropriate for a voluntary organisation.  

8.  FINANCES/FUNDING
Calder Office Admin continue to administer PAYE and Andrew Rowe is Finance Officer. 
The three year Comic Relief grant will run out in March 2004.  
A grant of £30,000, from West Yorkshire Connexions, to help towards acquiring office equipment, publishing reports and employing an office administrator was acquired in April 2003.  This will expire in March 2004.
Calderdale Youth Service provided a grant of £500 to help towards rent.
GALYIC were awarded two grants from Communities Against Drugs:  £5,000 for publicity (this was partly used in the previous year) and £1,400 for computer equipment. The end of year accounts can be found in Appendix A.

There is some urgency to acquire funding for April 2004.
9.   SERVICES
The GALYIC Office hours are Monday to Thursday, 10-4 p.m.  Because there is only one worker and she is often out at meetings or training, there is a twenty-four hour answer-machine.  People can also contact GALYIC via email.  The telephone helpline is staffed on Thursdays, 4.30-6.30.  Once the Office Administrator is in post the office will be staffed more frequently. 
The following services are available to LGBT young people and those questioning their sexual orientation, aged 25 years and below:

•	One-to-one support: in person, by telephone, email and correspondence
•	Befriending via pen-pal scheme, youth group and volunteers
•	Advice & information including support for coming out (family, friends, work)
•	Access to other LGBT-friendly services (e.g. sexual health, employment, housing, counselling) 
•	Advocacy (police, school, social services, employment)
•	Access to training
•	Website
•	Access to local, regional and national events
•	Weekly youth group.

10.   YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITIES
The youth group usually meets on a Thursday evening and has met most weeks with the exception of national holidays.  Once the part-time sessions have been increased the youth group can meet occasionally on Saturdays.  GALYIC needs to sign up to a Service Level Agreement with Calderdale Youth Service.

Members of the group have taken part in the following events:
•	Leeds Rainbow Picnic,
•	Huddersfield Out and About,
•	Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Bradford,
•	Outdoor Pursuits,
•	Todmorden Disco,
•	Consortium for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups, national conference, Bristol.

The group also organised a regional Christmas party (attended by c.50 young people from neighbouring LGB groups). 
GALYIC members have also taken part in:
•	Connexions assessment
•	Research into working class lesbians
and have been visited by SpeakOut: they may take part in this project in the coming year.

11.   MEMBERSHIP
Thirty-one young people contacted GALYIC during this period.  Five of these (three young women and two young men) were aged between 25 and 30 years, three having mental health problems.  Twenty-two have attended the youth group, fifteen being new members this year:  thirteen young lesbians, one young bisexual woman, and seven young gay men.  The number of young gay men contacting GALYIC and coming to the youth group has increased significantly.  Fifteen are new to GALYIC this year. 
Members ages range from 14 - 23 years with the majority being under 20 years.  Four, two young women aged 15 and 17 years and two young men, aged 13 and 16 years, contacted GALYIC but did not attend the group.  Two of these young people made contact via the email counselling service and GALYIC are still in touch with them via email.  Several members also brought friends along to the group.
One young man contacted GALYIC a few weeks after a young woman had been referred by a school nurse.  They both attend the same school and GALYIC facilitated them meeting.  They now support each other at school.  The same young woman only came to the youth group once but remained friends with one of the  members.
Of the young people who attend the youth group, the majority are working class.  One is mixed race.  Twelve are still at school, five are not in education, employment or training.  Seven of the twenty-two have mental health problems, all having experienced depression during this period and two having attempted suicide.  Three have alcohol problems.    Homelessness has been a particular issue for four young women: two aged 15 years, one aged 16 years and one aged 17 years.  Family breakdown has affected several members when parents/carers discovered their sexual orientation, some of these have included homophobic emotional abuse. Bullying has been a major problem for two young people, a 15 year old young man and a 15 year old young woman.  Six members have come out to their parents, and GALYIC have liaised with the parents/guardians of five members.  Eight members have received intensive support which has included not only liaison with parents but also with other services.

11.1  Joint Working with Other Agencies
Over the past year we have aimed to joint work with several agencies including Social Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Supported Lodgings Scheme, Sexual Health Counsellor, on behalf of young LGB people.  
The following are two  examples:

A young woman, whose family is homophobic and who was aged 15 years, was suicidal:  the home situation played a large part in her being depressed and GALYIC had been in contact with her relatives.  After receiving a suicide note, GALYIC took the young woman to social services who noted details and then gave her a consent letter for her parents to sign for social services to get involved; they would not sign the letter.  

Unless a young person is considered 'at risk' parental consent must be acquired.  The question is, who decides who is 'at risk.'  GALYIC considered her to be 'at risk' both to herself and from her family.   This young person was not considered at risk by Social Services.  Under the law it is clear when a young person has been sexually or physically abused.  It is not so clear regarding emotional abuse.  For clarity, the British Psychological Society's Position Paper on Child Protection is included as Appendix B.  Given that many of the young people now accessing GALYIC services are getting younger, this situation is likely to occur again.  There needs to be guidelines regarding emotional abuse which include reference to homophobic abuse with clear examples of what this means.  

GALYIC referred a young man and his mother to the Sexual Health Counsellor for support as a result of him being bullied for several years at school.  He is still receiving counselling to deal with the effects of the bullying.  

11.2  Contact with Ex-Members
GALYIC are still in touch with several ex members, many of whom are doing well in work, at university and with relationships - one young man has had a commitment ceremony with his partner.  Contact has been lost with one young gay man who was experiencing extreme homophobic hate violence where he lived, this was reported to the police and he has since moved out of the area.  A young woman, who was involved with the group a couple of years ago, has recently contacted GALYIC.  She has mental health problems and was given a lot of intensive support when she was involved with GALYIC.  She left the area and moved to Bradford.  It seems she got involved in drugs and ended up accidentally setting a house on fire for which she was imprisoned.  During her stay in prison she was diagnosed as having schizophrenia.  She is now in a hostel for women with mental health problems and is receiving support.  

12.   REFERRALS
As well as self-referrals, GALYIC have received referrals from a school nurse, a doctor and a teacher, with several referrals from the Information Shop.  There are now excellent links with the Information Shop and a member of staff is on the GALYIC steering group. She stays in contact with her referrals, many of whom are now attending the youth group.
A counsellor from Hebden Bridge, who is supporting a lesbian with alcohol problems, contacted GALYIC for information.  A teacher in Rastrick contacted GALYIC for information to enable her to support a young gay pupil.  

13.   WEB SITE
The GALYIC website has continued to be developed by the  member volunteers.  It is now an excellent site with sections on:  publications (coming out), history of GALYIC, press (access to gay/lesbian media), pen-pal scheme, email counselling scheme, bullying, parents, workers, help-lines, other groups in West Yorkshire, links to other sites, archive publicity.  Because the site is full of information the volunteers were approached by a firm developing a television interactive information programme for Kirklees; they adapted the GALYIC website for this purpose.

14.   PUBLICITY
As a result of the Communities Against Drugs grant GALYIC have distributed several hundred copies of the newly designed flyer aimed at workers, cards for young people to pick up and new laminated posters; these are now displayed in all of the Tourist Information Centres, libraries, youth centres, and in the careers offices in some of the schools. A member of the GALYIC youth group has taken several posters which are now displayed in his school.
A very successful bus advertising campaign which consisted of a poster on the side of eleven single decker buses originally ran for four months.  The launch was supported by the local MP, Alice Mahon and covered by the local media as well as BBCi website.  The advert is still on the side of several buses many months after the end of the campaign.  The campaign has raised the profile of GALYIC within Calderdale and surrounding areas significantly.  It is now several months since the campaign ended but  some of the buses are still displaying the advert.
Articles about the work of GALYIC have appeared in the local media:  Todmorden New, Hebden Bridge Times, Halifax Evening Courier as well as Young People Now, Youth Service News and on local radio.
There have been over 500 visits to the GALYIC website and much of the work of GALYIC is included in the Lesbian Information Service website which receives over 500 unique visitors per week.

15.   OUTREACH/NETWORKING
15.1  Local
With the new display board, publicity and publications, GALYIC workers and/or volunteers have taken part in a Health Day in Halifax, the launch of the Calderdale Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and the Huddersfield Out and About event.
The Project Worker has attended several network meetings including the Housing Workers Network and the Halifax Agency Network.
A presentation has been delivered to:  

•	Family Planning Service, 
•	Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 
•	Social Service Outreach Team and at the 
•	Launch of the free Hate Crime Helpline.

Meetings have also been held with the Careers Service and Lifeline.  

15.2  Regional
GALYIC have been represented at a consultation meeting regarding Yorkshire & Humberside Devolution and a meeting of the regional network of LGB community group, Pinknet, as a result of this the GALYIC (and Lesbian Information Service) website is now linked to Yorkshire Futures.

15.3  National
The Project Co-ordinator was invited to join an LGB External Advisory Group for the Department of Health as well as a government consultation at the Department of Trade & Industry (see Strategy Work).  She also gave presentations at the national CHAPS Conference in Leicester (HIV/AIDS), one on the work of GALYIC and the other on Alcohol Misuse.

16.   TRAINING
16.1  Homophobia Awareness Module
The 'Homophobia Awareness from a Multi-Oppression Perspective' module has been run for a fourth time.  Participants were lesbian and gay, two of whom are GALYIC member volunteers.  

16.2  NSPCC
Four training sessions were held with Jacks Project (NSPCC).  An evaluation can be found in Appendix C.  A member of the NSPCC team attends the GALYIC steering group.  It was hoped that the NSPCC would be able to work with GALYIC in particular with homophobic parents.  However, the remit of the NSPCC, to work with young people and their families post-crisis, means that this is not possible.

16.3  Victim Support
Three training sessions were delivered to staff and volunteers at Calderdale Victim Support.  An evaluation can be found in Appendix D.  

16.4  SmartMove
GALYIC delivered equal opportunities training to volunteers at SmartMove.

17. HOMOPHOBIC HATE CRIME
After publishing the Homophobic Hate Crime in Calderdale Report in 2001, an application was submitted for a significant sum to the Home Office to develop CHIC (Combating Homophobia in Calderdale); this would have included working with schools to combat homophobic bullying.  After many months of delay the Home Office informed GALYIC that the bid was not successful. 
Because several members of GALYIC have experienced homophobic bullying, a meeting was held with P.C. Ian Firth (hate crime officer); Inspector Mike Hanks; Helen Whale, the manager of Victim Support and Sail Suliman, Calderdale MBC Racial Harassment Officer.  As a result of this GALYIC providing training for Victim Support and one of their volunteers attended the Homophobia Awareness training module.  She is now the designated volunteer at Victim Support who supports  victims of homophobic hate crime.  GALYIC have offered to conduct training with the police and we are awaiting firm dates.  
GALYIC are currently looking into the possibility of becoming a Reporting Centre for Homophobic Hate Crime experienced by young people aged 25 years and below.

18. WORK WITH SCHOOLS

18.1  Bullying Report
Another outcome from the above meeting was the production, by GALYIC, of a report, "Preventing Homophobic Bullying in Calderdale Schools."  Sections include :  an Executive Summary and Recommendations; national, international and local research on Homophobic Bullying, Isolation and Invisibility, and Effects of Homophobia and Isolation; Projects Challenging Homophobic Bullying and Resources; examples of Police Projects; the Crown Prosecution Service; Relevant Policies and Appendices aimed at victims of homophobic bullying (young people and teachers), intervention by teachers and head teachers, support for families.  These were produced by an American organisation called Safer Schools Coalition and have been adapted with their permission.
The report was launched at Halifax Town Hall and was attended by c50 people.  Speakers included a member of GALYIC who gave a moving talk about her experiences of homophobic bullying and its on-going effects including anxiety and social phobia; the Crown Prosecution Service; the Police; a representative from the Schools Improvement Service and the mother of a young man currently being bullied at school.  Feedback about the launch was excellent.
The report, which has been well received, was widely covered in the local media and local radio, Young People Now and, as a result UK Youth are to feature an article written by the Project Co-ordinator in their Winter issue.  Copies of the report were sent to political and religious leaders as well as the Department for Education; the Project Co-ordinator has also been asked to run a workshop on the report at the national NUT conference in London in November.
The Racial Harassment Officer is currently talking with relevant people in the Council about how to move things forward.  One possibility is adapting the racial incident reporting form currently being used in schools to include homophobic incidents.  Gill Gould, Schools Improvement Service, has visited GALYIC and agreed to include homophobic bullying in the revised bullying policy and in the Healthy Schools strategy.  

18.2  Todmorden High School
One of the governors of Todmorden High School contacted GALYIC for help in tackling homophobic bullying in her school.  The Project Co-ordinator gave an input at the governors meeting.  Contacts have been made with teachers, pupils and parents and it is hoped to arrange a meeting of all parties to look at ways of tackling homophobic bulling in Todmorden High School.  
A funding application has been submitted to buy rulers and rubbers with the words "Rule Out Homophobia" and "Rub Out Homophobia" and the GALYIC telephone number.  It is hoped to launch this campaign at Todmorden High  and then roll it out to Calder High and other schools in Calderdale.

19.  LESBIAN AND GAY HEALTH/RESEARCH 
19.1  Mental Health Group
This group met about four times but no longer meets as several members have left Calderdale.

19.2	   Health Plan
GALYIC set up the Health Task Group in 2000.  A significant amount of work was put into developing the Lesbian and Gay Health Action Plan.  After the Calderdale Pride Day, at which workshops covered the main health issues, a report was produced and submitted to Calderdale & Kirklees Health Authority.  
It is planned to extend the original literature review and publish a comprehensive document covering alcohol and drugs, mental health, sexual health, young LGBs, accessing services.  Publication of the document is included in the Connexions funding bid.   The first three sections are almost complete: comments have been made by experts from the various fields.  It is planned to use the "Preventing Homophobic Bullying in Calderdale Schools" as a blueprint with examples of good practise and relevant national and local strategies.  This is a major priority for the period August - March 2004.

19.3  Interviews
In the original ACTION research, fifteen young people were interviewed.  During the first year of operation, a further seven interviews were conducted bringing the total to twenty-two.  The aim is to continue interviewing young people who access GALYIC services to identify their specific needs, provide something by which to measure success, provide data for future funding and possible publications as well as the development of GALYIC.  This year one young person has been interviewed and this needs to be transcribed.  Interviewing other members needs to be a priority in the coming months.

20.  STRATEGY WORK
It is crucial that government begin to take on board the issues facing LGB young people and integrate them within the various relevant policies and strategies.  With this in mind, GALYIC have been involved in several government initiatives.
Government have produced two reduction strategies, one on suicide, the other on teenage pregnancy.  Research suggests that LGB young people are significantly more likely than heterosexual young people to attempt suicide (maybe 2-6 times more likely) and to be or get someone pregnant (twice as likely as heterosexual young people).  However, neither of these strategies refers to LGB young people.  

20.1.  Suicide Reduction Strategy
GALYIC contacted various organisations with regard to suicide reduction; a response was received from the Royal College of Nursing, PACE, North Warwickshire NHS and the Consortium for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Voluntary Organisations and Communities.  A letter was sent to the Department of Health; we are awaiting a response.

20.2  Department of Health External Advisory Group
The Project Co-ordinator was invited to join an LGB External Advisory Group to the Department of Health.  This entailed a meeting in London with about twenty other LGB 'experts' and representatives from the DoH Equality Unit.  The aim was to identify health issues concerning LGB people and any examples of good practise.  The Project Co-ordinator stressed the mental health problems facing LGB young people and the DoH said they would look at what could be done about this issue, given that LGB people had been left out of the suicide reduction strategy.

20.3.  Teenage Reduction Strategy
Whilst attending the launch of the Calderdale Teenage Reduction Strategy the GALYIC Project Co-ordinator asked the government minister whether LGB young people were included in the governments strategy.  She acknowledged that they were not and asked for evidence to be sent to her.  In response to this, GALYIC produced a report  which was sent to the Department of Health.  We await their response.

20.4  Department of Trade and Industry Consultation
The Project Co-ordinator was also invited to attend a governmental consultation regarding Article 13 of the European Union (introducing anti-discrimination legislation in the work place for LGB people in December 2003) as well as thoughts on the proposed Equality Commission (bringing together race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion under one commission).  It is felt that this is a good plan which will be in line with the multi-oppression framework which underlines the work of GALYIC.  However, government must ensure that sexual orientation, age and religion are brought up-to-date with progress made on race, gender and disability issues.

20.5   West Yorkshire Connexions:  Equality & Diversity
GALYIC have submitted a funding bid for the post of LGBT Equality Officer for West Yorkshire Connexions.  Half of the role will be to train Connexions Personal Advisers and the other half to help develop a West Yorkshire LGBT youth group network and facilitate greater working together. Given the isolation experienced by GALYIC members it is felt that this is a positive way of enabling young LGBT from around West Yorkshire to meet.  It will also act as a support network for workers, to share good practise and help avoid reinventing the wheel.  GALYIC are also represented on the Equality and Diversity Advisory Group for West Yorkshire Connexions.

21. FUTURE PRIORITIES
21.1      Develop funding strategy and acquire funding for continuation after March 	2004 
21.1		Agree and sign Service Level Agreement with Calderdale Youth Service to 	include increased part-time sessions for youth group	
21.2	  	Steering Group to become Management Committee with trustees, secretary, 	chairperson and treasurer
21.3		Acquire Company Limited and Charitable status
21.4		Set up regular supervision meetings for all staff and volunteers
21.5		Develop programme of activities for youth group
21.6		Continue to work towards employing a male youth worker
21.7		Work towards increasing youth group meetings
21.8		Acquire outstanding office furniture and equipment
21.9	      Complete development of policies
21.10	Complete development of financial and administrative regulations, including
	referral and volunteer procedures, monitoring and evaluation
21.11	Interview members, transcribe and analyse data
21.12	Complete and launch  health action publications:  alcohol/drugs, mental
	health, sexual health
21.13	Continue to develop work with schools challenging homophobic bullying
21.14	Continue to develop GALYIC as hate incident reporting centre
21.15	Continue to work with other relevant agencies to help them become more
	 relevant and accessible to LGBT young people
21.16	Continue to develop website and other publicity and forms of information
	sharing
21.17	Continue to network with other LGBT organisations locally, regionally and 	nationally
21.18	Continue to influence policies of local, regional and national government and
	relevant institutions
21.19	Organise a fifth Homophobia from a Multi-Oppression Perspective training 	module
21.20	Liaise with appropriate agencies to develop common understanding of
	'emotional abuse' in particular with regard to homophobic emotional abuse
21.21	Examine possibility of alternative emergency accommodation for LGBT
	young people until they can access CYIPS.  Currently this is a bed and	breakfast hostel for all homeless people which is rife with drugs and is highly
	dangerous for all young people, especially young LGBT people.
21.22	As network of LGBT youth groups in West Yorkshire develops, possibly 	develop handover strategy should young people move area
21.23	Examine transport needs of members and investigate solutions
21.24	Longer term objective of acquiring own premises.

Acknowledgements
Thanks go to Comic Relief, West Yorkshire Connexions, Communities Against Drugs, Calderdale Youth Service for funding; to members of the Steering Group, to Paula Atherill, part-time worker and Julie Smith, volunteer, to Bev Harden for providing clinical supervision, and especially to member volunteers Melissa Coton and Nicola Sirmond for all of their hard work redesigning the website and the GALYIC display boards and other GALYIC members, past and present, and to all of those who have supported GALYIC over the past year, in particular, Alice Mahon, MP.

J. Bridget
October 2003