Over 80 people attended the recent Annual General Meeting of Yorkshire MESMAC Group of Services at Leeds Civic Hall, a celebration of the great work going on around West and North Yorkshire to support our communities.

‘The hundreds of one to one support and counselling sessions,’ said Brendon Fletcher, Vice Chair of Yorkshire MESMAC’s Board of Trustees. ‘the 50 community groups that MESMAC works with and supports, the thousands of helpline calls answered, the hundreds of vaccinations and STI tests brought directly to where people want them, the thousands of condoms and sachets of lubricant distributed, the training provided, the volunteering opportunities created - Yorkshire MESMAC is at the heart of our communities providing the things that help make a real difference to peoples’ lives.

‘As we continue to grow and our services strengthen and diversify, it’s important to us to think about how we direct the work that we do and to give the wider the community the chance to contribute to our decision making. We are looking to the community to bring talent, ideas, experience and commitment to the organisation and to join our expanding Board of Trustees. People join for different reasons, and each has their own skills and background. For some, it might be experience of Yorkshire MESMAC as a service user or through volunteering or working with partner organisations. For others, it might be an interest in sexual health and equality or perhaps involvement in community groups in our area. Whatever their backgrounds, all of our trustees share the belief that by contributing our time and energy we can support Yorkshire MESMAC and in turn, help support our wider community.’

If you’d like to know more or volunteering with MESMAC, they’d love to hear from you. They’re looking to recruit new trustees at their January meeting and you can put yourself forward by contacting them (see below)