Dorset Youth Pride 2023 - Shire Hall Museum, Dorchester

(Thankyou again Weymouth Gay Group for the picture!)

On Saturday, June 10th, SYP's dedicated youth workers, Mel, Charity, and Jane, accompanied by Supernova Zoey, had the privilege of attending Dorset Youth Pride at the esteemed Shire Hall museum. This remarkable event served as a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture in Dorset, uniting various charitable organisations and young individuals. The Shire Hall, once Dorset's courthouse from 1797 to 1955, holds a rich historical significance. It witnessed numerous landmark trials, including those of the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the infamous 1856 domestic abuse case depicted in Thomas Hardy's renowned novel, 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'.

Launched in 2021, this event has been committed to creating an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ community members, families, young individuals, and allies alike. Among the many charitable organisations present, Space Youth Project proudly hosted a stall to raise funds for our cause and raise awareness among the event attendees.

Towards midday, the Shire Hall opened its doors to welcome visitors into the old courtroom. Here, they had the privilege of listening to the profoundly moving experiences of four remarkable individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, each representing different ages and backgrounds. This captivating session left an indelible mark, inspiring all those fortunate enough to witness it.

Overall, our participation in Dorset Youth Pride was a testament to our unwavering commitment to supporting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth. It was an honour to be part of an event that not only celebrated diversity but also fostered a sense of unity and understanding among all attendees.

Written by SYP Supernova, Zoe

Chesil Youth Pride 2023

June 17th marked the first Youth Pride festival in Weymouth, Chesil Youth Pride. Organised and put on by Dorset Council, Weymouth College, The Drop-In (Portland), Dorset Police and ourselves at Space Youth Project!

We were so happy to lead the parade and be included in this event, spreading education, awareness and positivity about and to the young LGBT+ community in Dorset has always been our goal and this event encapsulated that goal with its amazing atmosphere and energy.

(Thankyou to Weymouth Gay Group for these lovely pictures!)

We had the wonderful opportunity to lead the parade with our Space banner and sound system, the energy of the marching young people and supporters was immense and we are sure we made a mark on Weymouth with our display.

We're looking forward to next year, thankyou again to everyone mentioned above and especially to Dorset's Young LGBT+ people and our allies!

Dorchester's Mocktails & Health Care Meeting

Anthony works at Dorchester Hospital as Research Governance and Quality Manager. He asked the young people at Dorchester group if he could come along and have a chat about their experiences within the health care system and Hospital. Also if they would consider being employed by a Hospital. He wanted their ideas about what's working for them, what needs changing and their own ideas of how they would like to receive care and support from hospitals and their GP's. He offered to bring an activity and they chose making Mocktails with him. very posh mocktails as it turned out. The young people had a lot of fun, did an alcohol awareness quiz and then settled to chat with Anthony. The young people were very pleased with the opportunity to have a say and Anthony had a lot of positive feedback and ideas to take away with him.