1st Anniversary for Youth Centre

One-year anniversary for Manchester's LGBT Centre

Manchester's Joyce Layland LGBT Centre is this month celebrating its one-year anniversary under new management.

The LGBT Centre marked the occasion with a 'thank you' event in May, attended by some of the 200 local people who use the centre every week.

Since spring 2013, the LGBT Centre has been run by LGBT Youth North West on behalf of 15 community groups. As well as providing meeting space for a diverse range of groups, the Centre now also features rentable office space, an LGBT zine library and a vegetarian and vegan cafe. Sidney St Cafe uses organic produce grown on a local allotment, which is cultivated by volunteers from the LGBT Centre.

Groups who regularly meet at the centre - which first opened in 1988 - include 'Lesbian and Gay Youth Manchester', a safe space for young people aged 14 to 25; 'Rainbow Noir', a group established for and by queer people of colour in Manchester; and 'Manchester University's LGBTQ society'. The centre is also used by groups who are not part of the LGBT community, including  'Narcotics Anonymous' and 'Alcoholics Anonymous'.

"We're delighted that the Joyce Layland LGBT Centre is proving to be such a success one year on," says Ali Hanbury, Centre Manager. "It's a real community success story, with hundreds of people using it every week.

"This is a great local success story, especially considering how many social enterprises are sadly struggling with cuts to public spending. It's really important that groups in the local area have somewhere safe and welcoming where they can meet, and we make sure that it's as affordable as possible so that as many groups as possible have access to it."

Chloe Cousins from queer people of colour group 'Rainbow Noir' added: "The centre is such a warm and welcoming space! It's bright, accessible and has been a wonderful home to Rainbow Noir over the past year. It's lovely to be in an LGBT space outside of the village, which everyone can access."

 The Joyce Layland LGBT Centre was shortlisted for the Spirit of Manchester 'Best service user involving organisation' in 2013. Watch a video about the centre on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJvmobr9XZc

The Joyce Layland LGBT Centre

49-51 Sidney Street, Manchester, M1 7HB

http://www.lgbtcentremcr.co.uk

info@lgbtynw.org.uk

Answerphone: 0161 222 0766

Published: 29-May-2014: (2455)