A safe space for young people in the LGBTQIA+ community is facing possible closure in the middle of Top of the South Pride.
Now in its 15th year of operation, the youth run drop-in service Q Youth is facing a financial crisis as it waits to hear if funding applications have been successful.
“We’re about to go under and if we go under it will be in the middle of Pride - in the middle of Nelson’s celebration for rainbow community and diversity,” co-chair Evelyn Bafico said.
As well as operating as a drop-in centre and counselling service, Q Youth supports the Queer Straight Alliance groups in schools and runs community training.
Treasurer Iris Foster said they had about four to five weeks of funding left “with no confirmed revenue streams”.
There were grants applications they were hoping would come through later in the year, but until then they needed to raise a minimum of $6500 a month to keep the doors open, she said.
“That’s offering minimal to no services, that’s just holding on to what we have.”
It was crunch time financially, Evelyn said.
“In the next week or two we have to make that really hard decision of whether we can stay open.”
It was getting more difficult to access grants and funding, she said.
Centre manager Kayla Bafico said it was also getting more expensive to run, particularly if they wanted to pay their staff adequately in light of the cost of living crisis.
A big issue in securing funding was that they were often competing with national groups, she said.
“A lot of organisations who provide funding are more likely to provide higher funding or funding ... to an organisation that is national, as opposed to being regional.”
While that was “understandable”, many national groups were stretched thin and couldn’t offer the same local knowledge and assistance a regional organisation could, she said.
“Where are the Nelson people supposed to go?”
As well as providing a safe space for young people to hang out among peers, they also helped people access services and assistance they otherwise wouldn’t be aware of, Evelyn said.
Small examples included helping people access queer friendly hair removal services, or offering clothes for people to try on and keep to see what they felt like their true self in.
Iris said it was a space where youth could share their experiences to help out others.
“Q Youth is a place that they feel like they can be their true self without any judgement. Often the only place they can do that.”
The group has a Give a Little page to raise money and was looking at holding a garage sale during their upcoming open day for Top of the South Pride.
They were also encouraging people to sign up as payroll givers.
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack is calling on the public to back Q Youth. (File photo)ROBERT KITCHIN / THE POST
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack is among those fighting to keep Q Youth open, and she called on the public to dig deep to support the organisation through the cash-flow crisis.
“We need the community to come on board and stump up with some donations.”
The young rainbow community had high incidences of mental health and suicide, so services like Q Youth were vital, she said.
“Literally help keep young people alive, it is that serious.”
Q Youth offered a safe, non-judgemental space for young people to go, she said.
“To be able to just go somewhere calm and quiet and safe is just so important for what is a really vulnerable group of young people.”
It was important local groups like Q Youth were able to stay open, as they offered a physical space for people to go and meet their peers, she said.
While it was a tough time for many families and businesses, she hoped the community would wrap around Q Youth to keep it open.
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- Nelson Mail