A SUPPORT group for gay, lesbian and transgender people will be launched in Daventry next year.
Time2Talk charity, which is based at the Abbey Centre, is setting up the drop-in sessions after receiving a £1,925 funding boost from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation.
The surgeries will run weekly from January for six months and are open to anyone aged between 19 and 24.
Time2Talk manager Andy Nixon said: “We will be launching the sessions which will be named Time2BU.
“They will provide a new safe space drop-in for the lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
“This is for people who need help or support on any number of issues such as reporting hate crime or homophobic incidents, or perhaps finding out about sexual health or counselling provision.
“It is not designed to be a social group, more a place where we can assist folks in accessing services they need over a coffee in a relaxed atmosphere.
“Those popping in will also be able to access information and support on issues such as debt and money matters, accommodation, alcohol and anything else they want to talk about.”
It’s not the first time the charity, which offers free counselling to under 25s, has offered advice to the LGBT community.
But Mr Nixon said the new sessions will be different to those that have been run in the past.
He added: “This is a different type of course to those we have run at the charity before.
“This is more about helping people as a first port of call if they have particular issues.
“If people are suffering things like hate crime and don’t know where to go they can come and have a chat to us informally.
“We can help them or point them in the right direction to get help. We are not in Soho or a city centre, this is Daventry and so it’s important we have these support groups for people who need them.”
To find out more about the drop-in sessions or to get advice on other issues, call Time2Talk Daventry on 01327 706706.