Navigating life as a young person can be difficult at the best of times, a young person navigating their sexuality and gender identity things can face a different set of challenges. Alphabet Soup provides Dunedin young people with support and offers them a sense of community in the southern city. A regular group of around eight young people form what has come to be known as Alphabet Soup, with a handful of others coming and going between meet ups. Launching with its first meeting in 2014, the group came about after University of Otago students recognised there was a lack of support for LGBTI and questioning youth in the Dunedin area. The students, with the support of the OUSA Queer Support Coordinator and a social worker from Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora decided to form Alphabet Soup to fill this gap. Queer Support Coordinator at Otago University, Hahna Briggs, says Alphabet Soup is a flexible support service that adapts and holds to the needs of the young people it supports. Recognising that some young people in the area prefer one on one support she says when it’s needed she will seek out the best support through a network of volunteers; “In these cases I am able to provide some peer support for that young person through my volunteer intern peer supporters. Most of our peer supporters are university or polytechnic students in their 20’s who receive training at the beginning of each year on providing peer support.” Hahna notes that the Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG), who are responsible for the Youth 2000 National Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey series, have suggested that reducing disparities between same/both sex attracted, transgender students and their opposite sex attracted/non-transgender peers, must focus on creating safe and nurturing environments. These enhance social connectedness and build upon the young person’s strengths and assets, and refrains from problematising (or pathologising) a young people’s sex, gender and sexuality diversity. “Alphabet Soup, while not a one stop shop, encompasses a positive youth development approach as recommended by The Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG),” she says. “Our mission statement is 'To provide a safe space for queer and questioning youth to meet and connect'. We aim to offer social, support and educational services to queer and questioning youth in Dunedin.” The support that young people receive is clearly working wonders and a much needed asset in the community, Hahna talks of the pride she feels when she sees positive changes in the young people who come to Alphabet Soup. “I love seeing young people grow and become more confident to be themselves. I’ve seen some of the participants who were initially very quiet and shy really come out of their shells. “Last year a participant decided to volunteer for Dunedin Pride and help organise one of the events. This was challenging for them but also a great a experience and we really appreciated having their input into festival.” Unfortunately like so many LGBT community groups, Alphabet Soup are coming to the end of their funding they initially received from Ara Taiohi and The Rule Foundation - writing grant applications is just part of the work Hahna juggles to keep Alphabet Soup running. “We recently ran a give-a-little campaign and I am waiting to hear back from the Dunedin City Council about a grant application. I have my fingers and toes crossed that the grant application will be successful! If anyone is keen to donate, let me know!” Alphabet Soup meets every Friday between 4pm – 5.30pm. Twice a month at the OUSA student support centre and usually with a fun activity or facilitated discussion. There’s snacks provided and once a month the group meet at a local café and chat - drinks are on Alphabet Soup. When they aren’t meeting at a cafe or in the OUSA student centre, there’s a monthly field trip just to mix things up a bit. “This structure gives variety but, while still allowing the option of a more private space (student support) for students who prefer this. Last week we were discussing when we should finish up for the year and the participants asked if we could continue running the group during the summer holidays. It was positive to hear that the participants really look forward to coming to the group each week,” says Hahna. GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 8th November 2015
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 8th November 2015 - 4:50pm