Edinburgh Gay Switchboard and Edinburgh Lesbian Line Annual Report and Accounts, 1993-1994

Item

Identifier: GD61/3/5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Annual Report contains a Mission Statement which details the aims and purposes of the Switchboard as stated in the Trust Deed dated 11/12/1985.

A Co-ordinator's summary review is provided which discusses the following: an increase in calls and befriending; negative images of gay people in the media resulting in vulnerable people experiencing low self-esteem and other mental health problems which Switchboard are trying to address; overview of call statistics for Edinburgh Gay Switchboard and Lesbian Line with a notable increase in calls relating to HIV and AIDS and safer sex; feedback and statistics from a bus advertising campaign with Scottish Motor Traction (SMT) and the rejection of the advert by Lothian Region Transport (LRT); lowering of the age of consent from 21 to 18 and the need for further lowering to 16 to help work with young people, particularly safer sex education; links formed with other organisations including the Lothian Gay Men's Health Group, and the Spittal Street Harm Reduction Team.

Reviews of helpline calls, face-to-face befriending work and social groups, and other operations including training and advertising is included.

Also included is a Statement of Income and Expenditure for the year ending 31/03/1994, and Call Statistics for the year ending 31/03/1994, which lists the types and number of calls.

Two additional pages are inserted which details Switchboard's income and expenditure and which have handwritten calculations and notes.