Community Builder
“I enjoyed it so much! My mental health and self esteem are already improved. Such a valuable experience - thanks to all involved!”
Feedback from peer support group participant
In 2019 I was looking for a way to improve the experiences of other LGBTQIA+ people with South Asian heritage living in the UK. I started volunteering with Sarbat Sikhs and was asked by them to collaborate with Taraki on setting up a group for LGBTQIA+ people with Punjabi heritage living in the UK.
I called the group The Open Minds Project and started with a focus on peer-support groups for LGBTQIA+ people with Punjabi people in London. Over time, the group naturally grew to include LGBTQIA+ people who had any South Asian heritage living in the UK. You can read about the work we did here.
The role required me to learn webdesign, sharpen my writing and design skills and to expand my group facilitation skills. The role also gave me a crash course in social media marketing, event management and managing funding applications. It was a busy 5 years and I was lucky to learn from so many different people.
I stepped back from the role in 2024 to concentrate on my creative career but am still keen to work with the charity and voluntary sector. If you think I might have something to offer you or your company, please get in touch.