New project set to offer peer support to students (From Dorset Echo)
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New project set to offer peer support to students
2:30pm Monday 18th March 2013 in News By Harry Hogger
SUPPORT: Dan Spracklen, right, with friends at the launch of the Stars group
A NEW project will offer one-to-one peer support for people at Weymouth College with concerns about homophobia.
Dorchester teenager Dan Spracklen set up his own peer review group in the county town in 2011 and the group expanded to Weymouth College under the Stars (Support to All, Respect as Standard) banner.
However, following a review of services, the weekly peer support group at the college has been withdrawn and replaced with a THIS (Transphobia and Homophobia Informal Support) project offering one-to-one support for students.
There will be a chance to meet with Stars volunteers on Tuesdays at any time between 12.15pm and 1.15pm.
The scheme will also be expanded to include anyone outside Weymouth College aged under 25 from Tuesday, April 2, with appointments available at mutually-agreed times and locations.
The service will be limited to Weymouth and Dorchester to start with but may increase its reach in the future.
It is hoped the new project will offer support for those unable to meet the current Dorchester weekly peer sessions because of other commitments or those who would prefer a one-to-one setting.
Stars is also waiting to hear if the Thomas Hardye School and Dorchester Middle School would like to be involved in a similar project and is hoping to ask other local schools.
Anyone wishing to make an appointment can email hello@starspeerproject.
com Appointments can be for as long as people feel comfortable with and can range from 15 minutes to one hour.
The Dorchester Stars group will also continue to run its weekly sessions at the Dorchester Youth Centre in Kings Road from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday nights.
However, project coordinator Dan Spracklen said: “I’m excited to get the new ‘THIS’ project up and running.”
To find out more about the new project visit www.starspeerproject.com/this.
More information on Stars is also available on Facebook at facebook.com/ starspeergroup or follow the team on Twitter @starpeergroup
