Find out more about the services we offer for you in Milton Keynes.

• Q:Training
• Q:Counselling
• HQMK
• Q:Membership

Our LGBT-friendly counsellors offer weekly or bi-weekly sessions in Milton Keynes. Contact us to book a free initial session at counselling {at} qalliance.org(.)uk. The cost of further sessions will depend on your circumstances, please email us to discuss this further.

People come to counselling to make space to look at issues in their lives. Your issues might be struggling with your sexuality, coming out, homophobia, having a bad time, having too much of a good time, gender issues, too much or too little sex, risky behaviour, body acceptance, addiction, gay kids, loneliness, wanting more confidence, loss….

All of our counsellors are experienced and comfortable in working with people who are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, straight and those who are unsure. They work to the ethics, standards and confidentiality of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. We offer counselling on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Wolverton and in Central Milton Keynes on Saturday daytimes.

Please note that although we try to give you an appointment at a time which suits you as soon as possible, there may be a wait – contact us for details. We aim to reply to all emails within 5 days.

On the evening  the following will be provided:

• HIV and Syphilis quick testing
• Chlamydia urine tests
• Free condoms
• Free parking (Free car parking will be provided in the disabled car park outside Main Outpatients Entrance 3)
• Coffee and cake.

Come along on your own or with friends, get registered, meet the staff, have a chat and an informal pleasant evening.

Address: The Sexual Health Centre, Main Outpatients Entrance 1, Milton Keynes General Hospital, Standing Way, Eaglestone, Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD

Got a problem you want to sort out?
Need someone to talk to in confidence?

Our LGBT-friendly counsellors offer weekly or bi-weekly sessions in Milton Keynes. Contact us to book a free initial session at counselling {at} qalliance.org(.)uk. The cost of further sessions will depend on your circumstances, please email us to discuss this further.

People come to counselling to make space to look at issues in their lives. Your issues might be struggling with your sexuality, coming out, homophobia, having a bad time, having too much of a good time, gender issues, too much or too little sex, risky behaviour, body acceptance, addiction, gay kids, loneliness, wanting more confidence, loss….

All of our counsellors are experienced and comfortable in working with people who are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, straight and those who are unsure. They work to the ethics, standards and confidentiality of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. We offer counselling on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Wolverton and in Central Milton Keynes on Saturday daytimes.

Please note that although we try to give you an appointment at a time which suits you as soon as possible, there may be a wait – contact us for details. We aim to reply to all emails within 5 days.

We’d love for you to take a look at the strategic plan and let us know any comments you have about it. If you think it’s good, bad, missing something important, or just think a little bit needs adjusting or tweaking let us know by emailing info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

If you’d like to get more involved strategically, operationally or doing stuff on the ground with LGBT people in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas email volunteer {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

Also feel free to print off our Services Leaflet and display in appropriate places. To see either document click on the images below.

(PDF file, 115KB)

(PDF file, 106KB)

“I got a HIV related illness, although I didn’t know it at the time. I was incredibly ill for a year- stomach pains, diarrhoea, weight loss. I ended up in hospital. It wasn’t until I was in hospital that the doctor suggested an HIV test. As soon as the doctor came in, it dawned on me it was bad news. But to be honest by then it was almost a relief; it meant they could treat me. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier, I think I was partly in denial. If I’d had a test sooner I wouldn’t have been in hospital. Being that ill has taken a physical toll on my body. They caught it just in time, they told me I could have been blind by April and dead by June. If I could turn back the clock and have a test earlier I would.” – Gary

Next Tuesday (1st December) is World AIDS Day. The theme this year is HIV:reality. Some people with HIV suffer side-effects including nausea, diarrhoea and prolonged headaches. In some cases treatment causes changes in body shape, depression and mental health issues. Other people find they are able to lead a very healthy life with HIV and may not suffer the same side-effects.

To see a full range of  information, people’s HIV stories and HIV myths, visit the National AIDS Trust’s World AIDS Day Page. For details of sexual health services in Milton Keynes, including how to get a free, confidential HIV test, visit our information page. If you just want to talk to someone confidentially, you can get in contact with our counselling service by emailing counselling {at} qalliance.org(.)uk for a free initial appointment or visit the new NHS Choices Sexual Health Advice page to email in specific questions.

This week Richard Solly from Safer MK come to talk to HQMK, our weekly LGBT youth group, about their experiences of homophobia and transphobia. The discussion was productive and enlightening for all involved. The youth were really interested in what he had to say and shared their experiences of homophobia and transphobia in MK  (some of which we will publish on our site over the weekend).

As mentioned last week, Ask Jo is coming back! Our website advice column for LGBT, or questioning, people in MK is back after far too long an absence. If you have a problem or dilemma that you want advice on send an email to jo {at} qalliance.org(.)uk – In the past Jo has helped people with coming out, relationship issues, coping with bullies, how to date well, sex advice and a whole range of other issues. We’re also still looking for more of your coming out stories. Reading other people’s coming out stories is often an essential part of the coming out process; by sharing your experience – good, bad or boring – it can help people prepare to share themselves with the world as well as providing an interesting insight for yourself to see how far you’ve come.

This week was Domestic Abuse Awareness Week. 30% of LGBT people experience violence, abuse or harassment from a family member or someone close to them in their lifetimes. Domestic abuse is not always physical, and that means that the signs may not be obvious. It can involve controlling a person’s contact with their friends and family (isolating them), destroying property, verbal threats in private or public, etc.

Are you age 16 to 21 and want to do something against homophobic bullying? Then take part in Stonewall’s Film Clip Competition and get your message heard across the country! More info on their website.

Have you seen this boy?

Some other things we have linked to on our Facebook and Twitter accounts:

• Family appeals to gay community to find missing son
• Brussels says churches must lift ban on employing homosexuals
• Schoolboy thanks fellow pupils for pointing out his homosexuality
• Short video about new memorial for Freddy Mercury
• Marriage should move with the times
• Milton Keynes Laughter Club info
• Liverpool’s bishops defend gay rights

“Everything we fear in the world & want to change can be transformed through happiness, the simplest desire we have & also the most profound” – Deepak Chopra

Finally, don’t forget that Saturday (the 28th) is another of A Day in Hand’s wonderful Sshh! (Same Sex Hand Holding) days. More info at their site.

Rainbow, the biggest gayest bus in the world outside the British Museum for the LGBT History Month pre-launch

In this posting are some highlights of what our volunteers have been up to in the past week and things that have caught our attention. You can follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get the latest from Q:alliance and can check out our Events Calendar to keep up to date with LGBT-focused or related activity in MK.

We went to the LGBT History Month pre-launch on Thursday and learnt lots about some fabulous projects that took place across the country for the last LGBT History Month, as well as hearing some great news about what’ll be happening next February. There’s *lots* of exciting and/or interesting things that’ll be happening in MK -from Q:alliance and others – and we’ll make sure to tell you more about them when things are firmed up. We’ll also link to the presentations we went to when LGBT History Month make them available.

Ask Jo is coming back! Our website advice column for LGBT, or questioning, people in MK is back after far too long an absence. If you have a problem or dilemma that you want advice on send an email to jo {at} qalliance.org(.)uk – In the past Jo has helped people with coming out, relationship issues, coping with bullies, how to date well, sex advice and a whole range of other issues. We’re also looking for more of your coming out stories.

One of our volunteers popped along to CMK Library to see their Out & Proud section, and we asked people for book suggestions we could send the library to make it even better. If you have any suggestions, do email us at info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk or, even better, tell the library service yourself.

Our counsellors have some appointments available. If you want to talk to someone in confidence, or find out more, see our Counselling page.

Today is International Transgender Day of Remembrance. The 20th of November is set aside to memorialise those who are killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. This year 117 trans people worldwide are known to have been murdered out of hate and ignorance. Many hundreds, if not thousands, more have taken or attempted to take their own lives. In the past two months, two transsexual women have been murdered in the UK – Andrea Waddell from Brighton and Destiny Lauren who was killed in Kentish Town, London…

• Know of anyone that could do with a greater understanding of how to support and empower lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people? We have some spaces left on our October the 14th training in CMK – visit Qalliance.org.uk/training for details!

• Here’s a short video of MK council leader’s vision for MK – what do you think?

• Did you know that LGBT young people are more likely to become homeless than their straight friends? If you are, or know someone who is, homeless or in danger of becoming homeless in Milton Keynes the following information may be of help – http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing-needs/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=17538

• The Citizen has a gallery of Celebr8 pics up on their website

• It’s Celebrate Bisexuality Day in the US today.  AfterElton are celebrating with a list of their 8 favourite male bisexuals – who are yours?

• Great Celebr8 article and pictures in this weeks MK News! Click here to see the e-edition.

• A wonderful article looking at how you can learn to love yourself - http://www.breaktheillusion.com/?p=1805

• Lovely lesbian site – check it out - http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/

• Latest celebrity coming out – Mika! He’s a lovely bisexual! Who’s next?

• Including a question on sexual orientation in the next Census will end the bizarre state of the LGB community still being an ‘invisible’ minority on what is the one survey which has such a central role in defining our population! Sign the petition here – http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/lgb2011census/ (we also think getting ‘T’ information would be useful!)

To join us on Facebook – become a fan at www.facebook.com/Qalliance.

We’ve developed some amazing LGBT awareness training that will appeal to all kinds of people and the profits made from running them help us to fund great services to support local LGBT people!

And now YOU can help us fill the training days and EARN MONEY for doing it! We’ve got places available on courses running from now until March 2010 and we’ll pay you commission to help us fill them.

How to earn up to £20 per booking

It’s really simple!

1) Use the publicity resources on our website and your own contacts, skill and charm to get people to register online for one or more of our training days.

2) Ask them to put your name in the ‘where did you hear about us’ box on the registration form.

3) Email us with the details and we’ll pay you 10% of the fee they pay us.

Depending on the type of organisation they work for, you could earn up to £20 per booking.

Example 1: You get someone from the public sector to book onto a full day session. They pay Q:alliance £120. We pay you £12.

Example 2: You get someone from a private company to book onto a full day session. They pay Q:alliance £175. We pay you £17.50.

Everything you need to get started promoting our training days is available on our website at www.qalliance.org.uk/training or if you have any questions, email us at training {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

This information is available in a poster. It would really help us out if you could print off a copy and display it in appropriate places!

Download the Poster here

You can enter GroupSpace without reporting to reception by turning right once you enter Acorn House.

This week Pick Paper and Fyne Times will be available on the (unmanned) red reception desk, this may change next week, and we will be sure to inform you if it does. Huge thanks to Milton Keynes Council of Voluntary Organisations for helping to make this possible. We are looking for a distribution point in Aylesbury, so if you can help get in touch.

Pink Paper is Britain’s biggest gay publication and features, news, features, interviews and a whole bunch of greatness on a bi-weekly basis.

Fyne Times is a monthly magazine  for LGBT people in the south of the country. Each month features a wide range of news, reviews, listings and a fantastic column from leading human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.

We will be trailing this service for the next 3 months, so if you want access to free, good quality LGBT publications, do take advantage!

If you have any enquiries about this service please get in contact with us by email, as Acorn House is not responsible for this service.