Intercom Trust Reaches Out To Offer Crime Support

The Intercom Trust offer a support service to anyone who experiences Homophobic or Transphobic crime, harassment, or abuse in Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall areas.

Intercom began in the summer of 1997, when eight LGB people started meeting in Exeter to discuss their worries about gaps in local services for LGB people and Trans people. There was a need for advocacy for people who encountered homophobic crime, prejudice or discrimination and there was a dreadful lack of community-led social and support groups for all ages and genders, especially in the rural areas.

The Help Support and Advocacy service is staffed by LGB and Trans staff and volunteers who are professional, trained, and familiar with the very wide range of issues they deal with. They know many of the issues from their own lives within the LGB and Trans communities. Between them the HSA team have many years of professional experience of providing these and similar help and support services.

The trust offer support and information to help people empower themselves to deal with the effects of homophobic or transphobic crime (abuse, harassment, bullying, victimisation, attacks, assault etc.) , to get it stopped (whatever is happening)  and to achieve closure, and move onwards.

A spokesperson for the trust said ” We can provide advocacy, helping people to fight their corner and speak up to agencies or statutory authorities, including employers, police, school staff, social services, landlords, etc. We can signpost people towards other specialist services that may be helpful, such as counselling services, or to support groups, community social groups, other voluntary agencies, etc. We know isolation can be a particular problem for LGB and Trans people affected by crime, and we do all we can to help. We welcome requests for help from people who are not LGBT but who are nevertheless experiencing issues around homophobic or transphobic crime.”

For help and support, people can call the Intercom Trust’s  Confidential LGBT helpline on 0800 612 3010  or send an email to : helpline@intercomtrust.org.uk

More information can be found on the Intercom Trust Website.

[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]Written help

Prefer not to talk to someone on the phone? (or not sure you want to yet?) How about writing to us, or emailing us?

Email: helpline@intercomtrust.org.uk

Write: HSA team Intercom Trust PO Box 285 Exeter EX4 3ZT [/box]