General Information:

• Who is this site for?  What is its purpose?
• Are your services safe?
• How do you pay for this?
• Are your services confidential?
• I'm not sure if I'm gay, straight or bisexual, can I still contact you?
• Do I have to pay to use your services/youth groups?
• What are the staff like?
• How can I contact you?
• I live OUTSIDE London, can I still contact you?
• Do I have to give my name and/or other details when I contact you?

  About Our Weekly Youth Groups:

• Where and when do your youth groups meet?
• What's all this about 'registration'?
• Why don't you provide a 'mixed-gender' group?
• Do I have to come along every week?
• Why can't I find the address for the weekly youth groups?
• How old are the people that come along to the youth groups?
• How many people come along to the youth groups each week?
• I'm worried I might bump into someone I know or get 'outed' if I come along to the groups.
• I'm really nervous about attending the groups, how will others react to me?
• I'm under 16, do you have to tell my parents I attend the youth groups or use your services?

This site is primarily aimed at providing information and support for the lesbian, gay and bisexual young people who make use of PACE Youthwork Service; those thinking of using the service or youth groups; colleagues and professionals; potential benefactors and anybody else who is interested in our work with lesbian, gay and bisexual young people in London.

The main purpose of the site is to provide on-line support and information about the services of PACE Youthwork Service for its youth group members, (and those thinking of joining the groups).

This site aims to include a regularly updated source of information about our weekly youth group events, annual events and service development, and actively seeks to promote the sexual health and well-being of all lesbian, gay and bisexual young people aged 25 and under who use our services and/or access this site.

PACE Youthwork Service is currently receives funding from Barnet, Enfield and Haringey - Joint HIV Prevention (NHS) Haringey Council; Comic Relief; Local Network Fund (Camden) and the The Jack Petchey Foundation.  

PACE is a Registered Charity (No. 801271) and welcomes donations and contributions from individuals, company's, grant-giving bodies/foundations and others.

YES, is the short answer.

The safety, welfare and security of all young people who access our service is extremely important to us.

About PACE:

PACE has been a leading organisation in the UK providing counselling, health and well-being services for gay men and lesbians by gay men and lesbians since 1985.  Since that time, PACE has grown in size and is now London's largest provider of well-being and mental health services to the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities.  PACE's range of services incorporates counselling, sexual health counselling, groupwork, mental health advocacy, employment, family therapy and, since 2000, youthwork services.  PACE also provides high-quality training and consultancy services to other organisations, which actively seek to promote best-practice and develop service user inclusion.

More information about the history and services provided by PACE can be found on the main PACE website, or you can contact the youthwork team directly for further information regarding organisational youthwork training and consultancy packages.

About the Youthwork Service:

In November 2000, PACE agreed to take over the management and development of The OutZone Youth Project for gay and bisexual young men (www.outzone.org) which was launched on Valentines Day 1997.   Services for lesbian and bisexual young women, Girl Diva, were added and the Youthwork Service was formed.

The OutZone Youth Project was initially created in response to local & government targets relating to HIV prevention, mental health & suicide, all areas where gay & bisexual young men are perceived to be at risk. Since its creation on 14th February 1997, OutZone has continued to maintain & develop its work to become a popular and diverse meeting place for young gay & bisexual men - away from the pressures of the commercial gay scene.

Our youthwork services have developed significantly since 1997 and are staffed by committed, professionally qualified youth and community workers, part time youth workers and sessional youth workers.  ALL staff undergo UK Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) disclosure checks which deem them fit to work with children and young people.  ALL staff work in accordance to UK Child Protection legislation and other recognised national policies and guidelines.

Related links: General faq: Are your services 'confidential'?
Related links: General faq: What's all this about 'registration'?

How we define 'confidentiality'

PACE Youthwork Service aims to provide a confidential service to the young people who access our service and we operate a system of 'organisational confidentiality'. This means that any 'confidential' conversations or correspondence you have with staff members or personal information you supply to them will remain confidential 'within the staff team' and will only be shared and/or acted upon in agreement with senior workers, or external agencies - and after informing you - if the information disclosed indicates:

• a) an occurrence of emotional, sexual or physical harm or neglect to:
  • a) the person disclosing the information;
  • b) to others
• b) any reason to suspect emotional, sexual or physical harm or neglect will occur to:
  • a) the person disclosing the information;
  • b) to others
• c) any action (or indication of action) that may compromise, threaten or undermine the safety and/or security of group members, youthwork staff and/or service property

We will not disclose details of your attendance at our weekly youth groups or participation in or use of any other services and events with any third party (subject to our legal obligations), without your express permission.  PACE Youthwork Service has systems in place that enable us to confirm attendance at our youth groups and other services without disclosing sexual orientation, if necessary. You do not have to be included on our postal mailing list or receive email updates.

Youthwork staff who work for PACE will NEVER talk to others about something you tell them 'in confidence' without very good reason.

Related links: General faq: What's all this about 'registration'?

Residential weekends and other events which result in overnight stays or trips out of the country- where staff members have a legal duty to act in 'loco parentis' (i.e.. act on your behalf, if you are unable to) - require signed and verified consent forms and health declarations from parents/legal guardians for all those participants aged 17 and under. Day trips out and/or events in and around London may occasionally require parental consent for those aged 15 and under.

• No 'registration' is necessary to browse our on-line content, links and listings section or support pages.
• No 'registration' is necessary when you contact us by telephone (020 7700 1323) or by email (youthwork@pace.dircon.co.uk)

Only young people who access our youth groups and other 'face-to-face' services are asked to complete a confidential registration form .  Please Note: You may be asked to prove your age and identity.  All information you supply on the form is treated in the strictest confidence and used purely for monitoring purposes. Our funders use the (anonymous) information we supply them to ensure that our resources are being used properly.

PLEASE REMEMBER:  Our services are for lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, and those who think they might be, aged 25 years and under. We may use the information given on the registration form (and any proofs of identity you produce) to verify the information you supply regarding your age and identity.  If youthwork staff have any reason to suspect abuse of our membership criteria, we will have no hesitation in taking appropriate action.

REMINDER: PACE Youthwork Service will NEVER disclose the personal information contained on your registration form to any third party without your express permission. In addition, youthwork staff will NEVER share or discuss any personal information (names/addresses/contact numbers etc) or confidential* conversations with any third party without your express permission. Any information you supply will be stored securely. 

Related links: General faq: Are your services confidential?

Yes. 

Coming to terms with being gay, lesbian or bisexual is a confusing time for most of us. Suddenly finding ourselves having strong feelings (sexual or otherwise) for people of our own sex (or both sexes!) can be hard to deal with. Knowing who we can trust to discuss these feelings with often presents us with more problems. Just being able to talk to someone - who understands how we feel - can sometimes seem impossible. But there is help available! Our safe & confidential one to one support and information sessions can provide you with a valuable resource. You will be able to get uncomplicated information, and answers to your questions, from friendly, experienced Youth workers whether you are gay, straight, bisexual or just still undecided!  Click here to find out how to contact us for a one-to-one chat.

Related links: General faq: Are your services confidential?
Related links: Services: One To One appointments with staff

No.

There is no charge to use our youth groups, or access one to one support or other information and advice service provided by PACE Youthwork Service.  Our services are freely accessible to all lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, and those those think they may be, who are aged 25 and under who choose to access them.

From time to time, the youth group weekly events may involve things like trips to the theatre, cinema, bowling or pubs and clubs etc. which involve costs of one sort or another.  Any costs that are involved as part of the advertised youth group weekly events are always clearly indicated beforehand.  If you have problems with meeting any costs associated with a particular event, please discuss the matter with the Senior Youth Worker.

All services are staffed by committed, professionally qualified youth and community workers, part time youth workers and volunteers.  ALL staff undergo UK Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks which deem them fit to work with children and young people.  All staff work in accordance to UK Child Protection guidelines and other recognised polices More information is available on request.

You can check out what the staff look like by clicking here. (But please don't let that put you off contacting us!!!  We're not as scary in real life, honest!)

Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

Yes.

And you are also welcome to attend our youth groups if you are staying or visiting London, or are able to make it in from the suburbs on a Friday evening for boyz or a Wednesday evening for girlz...There is also a mixed under 18's group on Mondays...

Please note, however, we do not carry information about specific projects or services for young people who live outside of London.  We will only be able to provide you with information of a service closer to where you live that may be able to help with your enquiry. 

Check out our Links & Listings pages for more information about a variety of services that support LGB young people in London and the UK.

Click here for more information on how to contact us

Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

We will only ask you to complete a confidential registration form when you access our face to face services for the the first time.

If you do telephone us (020 7700 1323) and speak to a member of the youthwork team, we'll usually ask you for your first name, your age and what part of London you are living in. We'll tell you a bit about the weekly group; its members; the type of things we do, and we'll give you directions to where the group meets. We are also more than happy to answer any other questions you may have or provide you with details about arranging a confidential one-to-one with a member of staff about a particular issue. 

• It's good idea to have a pen and piece of paper handy to take down the venue address or other details, and if you have specific questions, you might also find it helpful to jot them down before you call.
• Or you could just email us by clicking here and we'll do our best to reply within 5 working days.

Related links: General faq: What's all this about 'registration'?
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

We presently operate three youth groups each week:

• Girl Diva - For lesbian and bisexual young women aged 25 and under - Meets every Wednesday evening -  6.30 - 9.30pm - in Islington, North London.

• OutZone - For gay and bisexual young men aged 25 and under - Meets every Friday evening -  6.30 - 9.30pm - in Islington, North London.

• OneUP - For LGBT young people aged 17 and under - Meets every Monday evening -  4.00 - 7.00pm - in Hendon, Northwest London.

  How to find us:

  IMPORTANT: We DO NOT publish our youth group venue addresses on this web site. If you would like to attend our youth groups, you will need to contact us for further information.

Related links: Youth groups: OutZone website for young men
Related links: Youth groups: Girl Diva website for young women
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

PACE Youthwork Service operates a mixed weekly group for under 18's only.

We don't provide a weekly 'mixed-gender' youth group for under 25's, although, both young men and young women are welcomed equally within the service, and there are many opportunities throughout the year for both the OutZone and Girl Diva groups to come together. We are always dreaming up new ways of working together!

From attending the annual London Pride March together, to participating in our annual events, (such as the Summer School and World Aids Day event), we aim to maintain close links between both the young men's and young women's groups and will continue to develop initiatives for joint working.

Our members have also found that they are able to address gender specific issues more effectively and openly in single gender groups.

Related links: Youth groups: OutZone website for young men
Related links: Youth groups: Girl Diva website for young women
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

No.

There is no pressure or commitment to attend or participate in any of the groups or services PACE Youthwork Service provides.

Remember: You can leave at any time during the youth group session. Initially, you may just want to 'pop-in' for half an hour or so at first, just for quick cup of coffee, to have a look around and say hello. That's fine. Or you may only want to come along for a particular event on the youth group calendar, that's fine too!  We usually encourage new members to 'stick with it for a few weeks' so that they get to meet a whole range of group members and not just those that are around on their first night. (as nice as they may be!)

Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

In order to provide a safe and secure environment for all our youth group members, we do not overtly publish our youth group meeting venues. You will need to contact us by telephone or email for further information.

Related links: Essential Information: How to contact us
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

All our weekly youth groups are open to ALL young people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (or think they might be) and are aged 25 and under.

The average age of the young men who currently attend the OutZone Youth Group on a regular basis is between 17 and 22 years old. Presently, OutZone's youngest members are aged 15 and the oldest aged 25.

The average age of the young women who currently attend the Girl Diva Youth Group on a regular basis is between 16 and 21 years old. Presently, Girl Diva's youngest members are aged 15 and the oldest aged 25.

NOTE: There is NO LOWER AGE LIMIT to attending our weekly youth groups, however, you should be aware that some group sessions and workshops may involve the use of explicit sexual language and clinical descriptions or images that may not be suitable for those aged under 15 years and younger.  The youth group programme also includes regular social events and trips into central London that may involve visiting licensed premises, i.e. cafe/bars, clubs and shops.  Please remember that you need to be 18 year old or older to buy and consume alcohol in licensed premises in the UK.  No alcohol is to be consumed during group sessions.

PACE Youthwork Service discourages ALL young people from using alcohol in an irresponsible and unsafe manner, and regularly conducts workshops highlighting the dangers and harm associated with alcohol misuse.   However, staff will encourage the responsible use of alcohol when accompanied by group members (aged 18 years and above) at social and other events where alcohol is freely available. (i.e. Post-group socials, Youth Service events and other functions.)

PLEASE REMEMBER: Anyone wishing to attend our weekly youth groups or make use of our other services may be asked to provide satisfactory proof of age and identity. You will also be expected to adhere to the groups ground rules and demonstrate an appropriate level of behaviour.  We do not tolerate racism, bullying, homophobia, aggression and violence or sexually predatory behaviour.

Related links: Youth groups: OutZone website for young men
Related links: Youth groups: Girl Diva website for young women
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

It's a common concern and quite understandable that you may be feeling worried about 'bumping into people you already know', either on your way to/out of the group/venue, (or even as other members of the group), and that as a result get could get 'outed' or are caused problems in other ways.

While we can never make any 100% guarantees, we can reassure you that the centre from which we operate our groups has nothing about it, (either internally or externally), that would indicate the purpose of your visit is to attend a youth group for LGB young people. 

If you're worried about meeting someone you know who is already a user of our services, and are concerned that they might 'out' you, you should discuss the matter further with a member of staff when you first contact us.  However, we would like to think that ALL our members would respect your right to privacy and confidentiality, and would view any action (or threat of action) to 'out' you as a breach of our membership guidelines. 

Related links: Youth groups: I'm really nervous about attending the groups, how will others react to me?
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

OutZone currently attracts between 12 and 18 young men each Friday evening. 

Girl Diva currently attracts between 6 and 10 young women each Monday evening.

Youth group attendance fluctuates from time to time to take account for holidays, exams and weather conditions.  However, we currently have around 300 young people on our postal mailing lists who have attended our groups and we also hope to be developing our email updates and online support services in the near future.

Related links: Youth groups: OutZone website for young men
Related links: Youth groups: Girl Diva website for young women
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff

Many hundreds of young people have attended our youth groups and other events for all sorts of reasons over the last 8 years, but the primary reason that most make contact with us is to make contact with other young people of their own age and to develop friendships and peer support away from the pressures of the 'commercial gay scene'.

Attending any new group for the first time is difficult enough for most of us, but attending a youth group 'exclusively' for LGB young people when you may not have even considered 'coming out' to yourself, let alone family, friends, workmates or school buddies yet, makes this an even more scary prospect.  But we really do try to make this process as easy and as comfortable as possible or you.

A real quote from one of our members sums this up quite nicely:

"...The thing to remember is, that at one time or another, everyone else in the group has been in that position - of making their first move - so most group members do their very best to ensure that new members feel welcomed and included..."

Youthwork staff also understand that the prospect of attending a youth group for the first time or seeking information and advice over the telephone may make you feel really nervous or anxious, and you may end up not knowing what to say when you do contact us.  Click here for more information and tips on how to contact us.

Related links: Youth groups: OutZone website for young men  (Info for newbies)
Related links: Youth groups: Girl Diva website for young women
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff
Related links: Youth groups: I'm worried I might bump into someone I know if I come along to the groups.

PACE Youthwork Service will not disclose details of your attendance at our weekly youth groups or participation in other youth service events with any third party (subject to our legal obligations), without your express permission.

PACE Youthwork Service has systems in place that enable us to confirm your attendance at our youth groups and other services without disclosing your sexual orientation, if necessary.  You do not have to be included on our postal mailing list, receive email updates or have any unplanned contact with us.

Residential weekends and other events where staff members have a legal duty to act 'in loco parentis' require signed and verified consent forms and health declarations from parents/legal guardians for all those participants aged 17 and under.

Related links: Youth groups: How old are the people that come along to the weekly groups?
Related links: General faq: Are your services 'safe'?
Related links: General faq: Are your services 'confidential'?
Related links: General faq: What's all this about 'registration'?
Related links: Services: One to One appointments with staff