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Ultraviolet Expressions Program

Peer-led psychosocial support groups for LGBTIQAP+ aged 12 to 25

LGBTIQAP+ community flags

Ultraviolet Expressions Program (UEP) is a peer-led service supporting LGBTIQAP+ young people aged 12 to 25 across the Gold Coast. Are you questioning your sexuality or gender identity? Do you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, pansexual, asexual, or questioning? Are you looking to meet other young people? Then UEP may be the place for you!

Photo by Alex Lvrs - Hand gently holding a violet flower

Photo by Alex Lvrs on Unsplash

About the program

Ultraviolet Expressions Program is a not-for-profit service specifically for LGBTIQAP+ young people on the Gold Coast, proudly supported by Wesley Mission Queensland. We support gender diverse, sexually and romantically diverse, intersex and questioning young people (inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual, pansexual etc).

Progress flag - LGBTIQAP+ community
Intersex community flag - LGBTIQAP+ community
Trans flag - LGBTIQAP+ community

Support Groups

The Ultraviolet Expressions Program offers two peer-led groups: a Junior Violets for 12-17 age group, and a Senior Violets for 18-25 age group.

Due to the nature of these programs, an intake is required prior to attendance. To book your spot, please contact us using the information at the bottom of this page.

Meet weekly on Wednesday from 4:30pm - 6:30pm

A group program for young people aged 12-17, in the LGBTIQAP+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual, pansexual and other diverse identities) community. Exploration of a wide range of topics and interests, often tailored to meet the needs of group members.

Young people that attend often assist in deciding what workshops or activities they would like to see within their group, via regular check-ins and feedback. We consistently aim to have a mixture of educational and fun workshops, including:

  • Budget fidget making
  • Guest speakers from other support organisations, and people from the community
  • Board game nights
  • Movie nights
  • Various illustrative and performance arts
  • LGBTIQAP+ history
  • Ice-breaker and get-to-know-you games
  • Self-care strategies
  • Mindfulness tools
  • Gardening
  • And much more!

To register and for further information, please contact us.

Photo by Alexander Grey, on Unsplash

Meet weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

A gathering of gender diverse, sexually and romantically diverse, intersex and questioning young people. This social support group contains a mixture of fun and educational workshops for young people aged 18-25.

Groups can involve, but are not limited to:

  • Social Events
  • Skill Sharing
  • Learning Opportunities
  • Community Exploration
  • Guest Speakers

To register and for further information, please contact us.

Group of LGBTIQAP+ young people laughing together. Safe Space is a peer-led mental health support group in the Gold Coast

Photo by Mercedes Mehling, on Unsplash

Location

We are currently running the groups on the Gold Coast from two locations (Southport and Arundel) on alternating weeks. Please contact us for the address and if you have any questions.

Meet the staff

Want to put a name to a face? Coming along for the first time and not sure to who to talk to? Here are our fabulous staff members:

Jade, from Safe Space (LGBTIQAP+) Gold CoastJade (he/him) uses agender, trans, queer, femme and flabulous as some of his identity terms. Jade has been working with the LGBTIQAP+ sistergirl and brotherboy community since he was a teenager. You might recognise him from his past work with Qspace, Teatime and Transcendence programs, LGBTIQAP+ training, or community. He is passionate about crafts, teapot collecting and neurodivergence. Ask me about: dreams of queer community development, board games, tea, and stories of my lived experience.
Calleigh, from Safe Space (LGBTIQAP+) Gold CoastCalleigh (she/her) is the Safe Space Facilitator with the Ultraviolet Expressions Program (UEP/Violets). Calleigh studied her Cert IV in Youth Work at Charlton Brown and completed her placement with the Expanded Horizons Program QSpace/QPlus). After working with QSpace for two years Calleigh decided to transition over into the new Violets program. Calleigh has a passion for advocacy work and peer education, in her spare time she loves appeasing her cats, reading, listening to music and random spontaneous adventures.

Co-design participation

We are currently in the process of co-design with the LGBTIQAP+ community, which will guide and inform what the UEP becomes, and what it will be named. If you would like to share your ideas or be kept up to date as the co-design progresses, please send us your details here.

Group of young LGBTIQAP+. Image represents importance of peer support groups, such as Safe Space in the Gold Coast

FAQs

No. Expanded Horizons has been transitioned into two separate programs – Supporting Minds (LGBTIQAP+) stream and Ultraviolet Expressions Program (UEP) peer support.
The Ultraviolet Expressions Program (or UEP) consists of weekly social support groups for young LGBTIQAP+ people aged 12-17 and 18-25. It is an opportunity for young people to come together and socialise and learn with a mixture of educational and fun workshops.
The Ultraviolet Expressions Program is located on the Gold Coast. We are currently running the groups from two locations (Southport and Arundel) on alternating weeks. Please contact us for the address and if you have any questions.
The weekly programs run on Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 6:30pm for ages 12 to 17, and Tuesdays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm for ages 18 to 25.
Access to peer connection, support, information and resources can serve as a protective factor to assist LGBTIQAP+ youth to reach their potential. Many of the young people accessing the Ultraviolet Expressions Program programs report significant benefits to their health and well-being through the support, workshops and friendships gained by accessing the Ultraviolet Expressions Program.

This is not a crisis service

If you or a loved one are in crisis, please call:

Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

Contact the team at the Ultraviolet Expressions Program

Please contact the Ultraviolet Expressions Program team and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Please note that our team work part-time hours, so there may be a small delay in our response times. We appreciate your patience and will get back to you as soon as we are able to.

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