OUTREACH WORK

 

WHAT IS OUTREACH?

 

MESMAC outreach work involves a minimum of 2 workers going out to places where LGBT people go to meet each other, this is a variety of places including gay saunas, gay bars and clubs, and other more rural places. The aim of the outreach is to encourage people into using services such as MESMAC, other sexual health services, LGBT groups and venues. We wear t-shirts that identify us as workers and carry identification which is available for inspection should you feel you need to see it. At times we travel out into rural areas and use an assigned car to do this. We are often out giving people information and free condom packs.

MESMAC distribute LGBT information in the form of posters and leaflets at venues we visit, not just our own but those of other services and LGBT community projects/events. We visit the commercial gay scene every week where we restock the venues with MENvelopes (Condom and Lube packs), we also take this opportunity to replenish our information leaflet racks in the gay venues with our leaflets. Venues carrying our information in Newcastle are:

• The Yard
• The Bank
• The Eagle
• Pride Cafe

WHO WE WORK WITH

 

MESMAC offer information we have from the LGBT directory that we produce for workers across the North East region. We work with the SHINE project in Newcastle which is a women’s sexual Health Project to offer information and signposting to lesbian and bisexual women alongside the gay and bisexual men’s information and services that we offer. MESMAC work with the trans community, again offering information and signposting. In Sunderland and the South of Tyne we work with We’Ar Out!

 

SAUNA OUTREACH

 

When we visit the gay saunas we are there to talk to customers about their sexual health, relationship issues, group and service information and any other questions we can help with. We can be found in the cafe area of Number 52 sauna and H2O sauna on weekday afternoons, please feel free to come over to us for a chat. If you would like to know which day we will be in either of the saunas, please just call us on: 0191 233 1333 and ask when the outreach workers are expected to be working in the saunas next. We also deliver condoms and lubricant to the saunas on a weekly basis and also refresh leaflets and posters that are on display.

 

PRIDE CAFE OUTREACH

 

MESMAC & SHINE as MESH offer outreach sessions to the LGBT community in Pride Cafe! The sessions are available from approximately 1pm until 5pm every Tuesday and offer information, advice and signposting. We will be in the cafe on the ground floor in as discrete a location as possible so as not to disturb diner’s and If at any point anyone would like a private chat we will have access to a private space on the second floor. We will be wearing MESH T-shirts so we can easily be identifiable and have a range of leaflets, resources and give-away items. MESMAC (gay & bi men) and SHINE (women) are happy to help with enquires such as groups and service information, safer sex and STI information, counselling services (including MESMAC’s), sexual health clinic information and much, much more. If you would like more information, please call us on: 0191 233 1333. Pride Cafe is located at: 24 Scotswood Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE4 7JD. Website: www.pridecafe.co.uk

 

OUTREACH IN OTHER PLACES

 

MESMAC workers are often asked to attend events where we can pass on information to the LGBT community and people who might require LGBT information, these events include:

• Freshers Fairs
• Diversity Events
• Pride Events
• Sexual Health Training Events
• IDAHO

If you would like to have MESMAC attend an event with an information stall, please either contact us by telephone on :0191 233 1333 or email us at: