Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons Trust, formally known as Mosaic LGBT Youth, hosted a socially distanced event to raise the importance of community support. They invited a very special guest along to speak... me! All jokes aside, I was invited to talk but the special guest was Adam Lambert. The night finished with a private screening of a movie Adam appears in The Rockie Horror Picture Show.
Established in 2001, when I was only 13, the Mosaic Trust aimed to support, educate, and inspire young LGBT+ persons. They are London’s leading hub for young LGBT+ persons to explore their identities, learn about the LGBT+ community its history, heritage, and arts while developing social connections and a sense of belonging. They provide accessible, innovative, and co-designed activities, programmes, and services for queer youths and the people around them.
I attended Mosaic until I became too old to be a member (and I got kicked out). Later in life, as a young adult and youth worker by profession, I wanted to give back to Mosaic and help out where I can. In this instance, I was invited to talk about some of the projects that I've worked on and how Mosaic has helped me along the way.
This talk was slightly different. In order to maintain social distancing, there were fewer attendees, and everyone was required to wear a mask. Speaking into a microphone whilst wearing a mask was bizarre. Trying to project my voice enough to not be muffled but not shouting is the new normal we may have to get used to.
It was an honor to be invited back as a graduate member to talk about my experiences. I talked about Tideway, and getting the full team to Pride. Touched on Co-chairing the LGBT Encompass Network as well as rolling out an Allies Campaign across the peak of the program (Massive Kudos to Adam Smith my Co-Chair as well as the team). We also discussed the importance of community support, particularly during the Coronavirus pandemic. Mosaic events always have an underlying lesson to teach the LGBTQ+ Persons how to grow into themselves and gain confidence amongst peers.
Adam Lambert took to the stage to talk about his experiences within both: the entertainment industry and someone who has grown up with a queer identity. The questions asked in the Q&A were focused on the importance and managing your mental wellbeing.
Lukasz Konieczka, from Mosaic, discussed how his charity had adapted through COVID-19 to offer support to its members virtually.
The event would not have been possible without the funding from The Feel Something Foundation (FSF). Launched late 2019 by Adam Lambert, a non-profit organisation in support of LGBTQ+ human rights.
At the end of the night, whilst talking to Lukasz (Exec Director) and thanking him for having me, the words podcast were mentioned. So watch this space and in the meantime to find out what Mosaic LGBT+ Young Person Trust does visit their website.
Keep Safe,
George Allowit
"George has spoken during the event about his time at Mosaic as a young person as well as a mentor and now an ambassador. It’s always great for us to see how far our young persons go and it’s lovely to hear how appreciative they are. George has a long history with the organisation and has gone and done amazing things in construction industry which he himself attributes to skills, pride and outlook he gained at Mosaic’
Lukasz Konieczka, Executive Director
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