• OutZone is a popular (and friendly!) youth project for gay & bisexual young men who live, work or play in north London and the surrounding area. OutZone has been operating since Valentines Day 1997 and is a totally safe & confidential service provided by the youthwork staff team from PACE.
• Our project can offer lots of support for everyone, at all levels of coming out and those who are questioning their sexuality. Our weekly youth group offers a varied programme of events and information sessions, and is a safe place to meet up with friends away from the 'commercial' gay scene in London.
• Confidential one to one sessions with a member of staff are available by appointment (outside of group times) and can help you to deal with any issues that may be impacting on the way you live your life. You might also just want to meet up for a one to one before you come along to the group for the first time, to find out more about what we do.
• Finally, OutZone can help to 'point you in the right direction' (no pun intended!) if you are 'new' to gay life in London, and gives you the opportunity to meet people of your own age, in a safe and supportive environment.

On an average Friday evening (if there is such a thing!), between 15 and 20 young men usually come along to the group - often more, but sometimes less. OutZone meets every Friday between 6.30pm - 9.30pm at its base in Islington, North London (Caledonian Road Tube, Piccadilly Line- 3 minutes) Get in touch for more information: 020 7700 1323 (office hours) or Click here to email us NOW!

NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

• OK, so you might feel a bit embarrassed or awkward at first, but don't worry, the youthwork team understand that you could be feeling nervous or you may not know what to say when you contact us for the first time.  Well... if you are planning on calling, (or emailing, for that matter) you could say something like..."Hello. "I'm thinking about coming along to OutZone, can I have some more information please?"...or, perhaps..."Hi. I'd like to speak to (someone) from the youthwork team about....." and we'll take it from there.

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.  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. If you've never been to a youth group before, you have the option to meet with a member of staff for a confidential one to one before coming along the first time: just let us know when you call or email & we can arrange it.  Unless you have specific issues or concerns you want to discuss fully, we generally advise new members to arrive about 15 minutes before the Friday night group starts (6.15pm), so there is time to meet the staff, find your way around and relax a little (or calm your nerves!) before everyone else arrives.  Group members usually arrive gradually throughout the evening. 

In our experience, new members have found it much easier to arrive at the beginning of OutZone sessions, thereby getting to know everyone else as THEY arrive, rather than having to be introduced to a room full of people all at once.  On the other hand, many others just choose to call up, find out where we meet and turn up. It's whatever works best for you, really. Have a peek at what the staff look like here - We're not as scary in real life - honest!

• OK, so you've emailed or called us. You now know where and when OutZone meets and have finally decided to 'take the plunge' and come along to OutZone one Friday evening. 
• When you arrive at our group venue for the first time, you will need to go to reception and ask to see someone from OutZone. A member of the youthwork team will come to meet you and show you around.  (Please be assured that all the staff you encounter at the venue where OutZone meets are friendly and helpful and should treat you with courtesy and respect.) 
• Initially you will be introduced to all members of staff and, gradually, other group members, as they arrive.  Once you've had a chance to take in your new surroundings we'll ask you if you want a cup of tea/coffee or a cold drink (No alcohol during OutZone sessions 6.30 - 9.30pm - Sorry!) and a member of staff will sit down with you and go through the contents of your Welcome Pack' to tell you more about the group, its Weekly Events and the range of other services on offer.

Registration:
On your first visit, you will be asked you to complete a confidential registration form. (You may also be asked to provide proof of your age and identity).  Any information you supply on the registration form is strictly confidential and purely for monitoring purposes. Your personal information (name, address, contact details, phone numbers etc) is NEVER shared with any third party without your express permission.  Our funders use the (anonymous) information we supply to ensure that our resource's are being used properly. The registration form also gives you an option to join the Pace Youthwork Service postal mailing list and there is space to provide an email address in order receive regular monthly group updates and latest information.

• After all that you will be free to join in with the planned programme, carry on chatting with staff and others, have a good rummage through the weekly press or just sit back, relax and begin to make new friends. There is always plenty to read and do, so its unlikely you'll find yourself feeling like a 'spare part'.  Don't forget, you can leave at any time during the session. 
• You may just want to 'pop-in' for half an hour or so at first, just to have a quick cup of coffee and say hello. That's fine. Or you may only want to come along for a particular event on the OutZone calendar, that's fine too!  We usually encourage new members to 'stick with it for a few weeks' so that you get to meet a whole range of outzone members and not just those that are around on your first night. (as nice as they may be!)

So now you know how it works - and hopefully this page has provided the answers to some of your questions.   Your next step could be to Contact us to find out where OutZone meets... or if you still have questions or concerns, why not call and arrange a confidential one to one with someone from the youthwork team? 

020 7700 1323 (office hours)
Click here to email us NOW!

To ensure the safety and welfare of all our members, youthwork staff will have no hesitation in notifying the appropriate authorities if they have any reason to suspect abuse of our membership criteria with regard to our upper age limit. You MUST be aged 25 years or younger to access to access our youth groups and other services.