A new group aiming to improve the mental health and wellbeing for LGBT+ young people has been launched in Fife.

“Hive Happy Heads” is a new project based at The Hive LGBT+ Centre which will see a combination of person-centred therapy with social events and activities to breakdown barriers and build the social skills of young people aged 12 to 22.

The project is the idea of Pink Saltire’s new Wellbeing Officer, Lindsey Williamson, who is herself a trained therapist and counsellor. After some personal experience looking for support for parents of LGBT+ young people in Fife, and finding very few services exist, she approached the charity with the idea.

A few months later and with funding secured from Fife Council’s Our Mind Matters service for a pilot programme, the service launched in December 2022 and will run until April 2023.

Lindsey spoke of her excitement at getting started and said:

“I’m really delighted to be part of this exciting opportunity to shape services and provide some much-needed support for LGBT+ young people throughout Fife. Mental health is a topic I’m so passionate about and I’ve seen how isolating things can become for some LGBT+ people, especially when you dont know where to turn for help.”

“I’ll be providing counselling to individuals and small groups using a variety of therapeutic methods depending on individual needs, all in a safe and affirmative environment based at The Hive.”

“We’ll also be building self esteem, people skills and having some fun with the young people through an activity programme and weekly group meets in Kirkcaldy. The group will learn new techniques to help them become more resilient about their mental health, building their own mental health toolkit so they can form coping mechanisms to help them in the future.”

Pink Saltire founder, Stuart Duffy, commented:

“This is an example of the type of services which The Hive is here to provide – inspired by the launch of the Centre, Lindsey approached us with this idea and through our support we were able to create a successful pilot programme which Fife Council were then able to fund.”

“We all know mental health services are stretched and referrals for mainstream CAMHS services at really high, which can lead to long wait times. This service provides additional capacity in the community to help young people find support, building a toolkit of techniques together or through counselling on an individual basis. We hope the service proves successful and we can continue to deliver something similar beyond the initial pilot phase.”

Hive Happy Heads meets weekly from 5.30pm at The Hive LGBT+ Centre in Kirkcaldy and is open to young people aged 12 to 22yo. Parents are welcome to attend with young people or through family counselling sessions available via Lindsey. Group outings are all free of charge with transport provided, making them as inclusive as possible.

For any information on the service, please email lindsey@pinksaltire.com or call 0800 051 7676 between 12pm and 6pm Monday to Friday.