DIVA speaks to Zainab about how this North London organisation helped her to feel safe
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY PEXELS
Outcome is a welcoming LGBTQIA+ drop-in space for mental health support for anyone in London. If you would like to find out more you can email outcome@islingtonmind.org.uk or visit their website https://www.islingtonmind.org.uk/our-services/outcome/
Zainab came to the UK six years ago from Mauritius, fleeing from a dangerous situation at home. She was unsure how to approach the asylum system in the UK, and felt at a loss. But when she started looking for help, one service provider caught her eye: Outcome.
Based in North London, Outcome provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to get support with their mental health, make friends, and live authentically. Their Freedom From Fear To Love (FFFTL) is a project designed to support and help LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum and refugees. Offering non-judgemental, safe, and inclusive support, FFFTL is designed to help meet the acute challenges that LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum face, such as navigating the Home Office’s asylum process.
For people like Zainab this was a lifeline.
“The whole world was sitting on me. That’s how I felt,” she tells me. “But when I came [to Outcome], they said, ‘You don’t need to be scared about anything.’”
Since joining Outcome four years ago, Zainab has seen her confidence grow. “Outcome just lets you spread your wings,” she smiles. “You’re not being judged; even by how big your wings are or how colourful they are! Coming here can be the best day during the week.”
While Outcome hosts a number of activities and groups on site, it also offers a space for people like Zainab to go and sit down to just listen to music. “Being here, you never feel alone,” she tells me.
It can be daunting to reach out and ask for help, but Zainab assures me that it was one of the best decisions she ever made. “Everybody is different. Everybody expresses themselves differently. Some like to draw, some like to write, some like to talk, some like to just want to listen to music. Having a safe space, it just helps you to be you.”
You can find out more about Outcome now: https://www.islingtonmind.org.uk/our-services/outcome/
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