To ensure our work reflects the current needs and diversity of the LGBT community, we are currently consulting with members, friends and family of the LGBT community and other members of the public interested in progressing supports and services for our community.

The findings will also be made available to the Interagency Working Group with which Amach! is currently working to progress supports and services for the LGBT community in Galway City and County.

Click here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9NPK87C to complete our short e-survey

Amach! LGBT Galway is currently working to develop a Strategic Plan, which will guide our work over the coming 3-5 years to ensure a solid and safe support structure for the LGBT community in Galway City and County. To ensure our work reflects the current needs and diversity of the LGBT community we are undertaking a public consultation with members, friends and family of the LGBT community and other members of the public interested in progressing supports and services for our community.

What is Amach!?

AMACH! LGBT Galway Ltd, a registered company since March 2010, is a volunteer run organisation which represents and campaigns on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Galway City and County.

AMACH! LGBT Galway Ltd. aims to reflect equally the diversity within the LGBT community by encouraging positive participation from the community. We actively campaign to achieve a solid and safe support structure for the LGBT community in Galway.

What is the aim?

The overall aim for the consultation process is to give members, friends and family of the LGBT community an opportunity to:

• Share experiences and highlight issues that are important to you
• Identify needs for support that are currently not met
• Share ideas and suggestions regarding how those needs can be addressed

Where and when will it take place?

Amach! will organise three public consultation meetings, which will be hosted and facilitated by an independent consultant:

• Saturday 25 February 2012 from 11am – 1pm, in Clann Family Resource Centre, Station Road, Oughterard, Co. Galway
• Saturday 3 March 2012 from 11am – 1pm, in Gort Family Resource Centre, Church Street, Gort, Co. Galway
• Saturday 10 March 2012 from 11am – 1pm, in Westside Resource Centre, Seamus Quirke Road, Galway City.

If you wish to attend, but do not have access to transport, please contact us at info@amachlgbt.com and we will do our best to help.

How can I have my voice heard if I do not wish to take part in a public meeting?

Complete the E-Survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9NPK87C  where you can identify the issues that are important to you, and share your ideas and suggestions. This survey is also open to people who take part in the public consultation meetings.

If you do not have access to the internet, please contact us at info@amachlgbt.com and we will arrange for a hard copy to be sent to you.

What will happen next?

After the deadline, the independent consultant will collate a consultation report. This report will inform the themes and actions for inclusion in the Amach! Strategic Plan, and will also be made available to the interagency working group Amach! is working with at the moment to progress supports and services for the LGBT community in Galway City and County.

Further information and deadlines

The deadline for submitting e-surveys and other written observations is Friday 16 March 2012. Written submissions can be sent to Amach! C/o LGBT Diversity, Seamus Quirke Road, Westside, Galway. For further information please visit www.amachlgbt.com, follow us on Facebook or e-mail info@amachlgbt.com.

This decision has been taken to enable Amach! to fully engage in other important work that can further the development of the LGBT community. And with a dedicated community pride committee, build on previous prides, inhance the week long community pride festival inclusive of Galways lgbt Community.

A meeting was held on 18th of January in the Harbour Hotel, organised by community members who attended the community meeting in November. The meeting was facilitated by Poul Olesen Walsh, LGBT Diversity Development worker and was attended by members of the voluntary board of directors of Amach! LGBT Galway Ltd.

After a very productive and informative meeting and Q&A session, 5 members of the community volunteered to help organize Galway Community Pride 2012.

Amach! LGBT Galway Ltd will hand over Pride Resources including funds, banners, T-Shirts etc, to a newly established committee for the purpose of organising Galway Community Pride 2012. The handover is subject to the following conditions which were agreed at the meeting:

• A Community Meeting will be held to elect a pride committee for 2012
• This meeting will be held on Sunday 12th February at 4.00pm in Dignity Bar Galway
• The new committee will be properly constituted
• It will include a constitution
• Officers will be appointed
• A bank account will be set up registered in the name of the Committee
• The committee will be inclusive and broadly representative of the LGBT community
• It will be volunteer led and work throughout the year, every year, any profit made will go back into the LGBT community
• Accounts will be audited, accompanied by a written report and submitted to Amach! by November 2012
• Subject to the above a written application will be submitted to Amach! by March 18th 2012, followed by the handover of pride resources

Amach! LGBT Galway Ltd! recommends that a separate legally constituted group is set up, which is made up of volunteers, community-based, non-for-profit, and broadly representative of the community. This group would have the sole responsibility for the organising and running of the annual community pride festival and that this group would work on pride throughout the year, every year.

Members of the community present on 23^rd are holding a community meeting on Wednesday 18^th January 2012 in the Harbour Hotel, Galway City, with a view to establishing a newly constituted group for the running of Galway Community Pride. This meeting will be hosted by members of the community not currently involved with Amach! and facilitated by Poul Walsh Olesen, lgbt diversity officer. We campaign for volunteers to attend this meeting and stand forward to establish this group. This is your community, your Pride. Without the Volunteers Galway Community pride will not continue in 2012.

Special effort will be made to facilitate women who come on their own, or for the first time. Arrangements can be made to meet up with new people before hand so that they dont have to attend alone.

An ethos of mutual respect, courtesy, warmth, dignity and inclusivity for all members is expected.
The group will always try to use venues suitable for people with special requirements.

Email: shenaniganswest@gmail.com
Web: www.meetup.com/shenanigans

 A brief history of Amach! and key aspects of the work undertaken in the last couple of years was presented. The work of directors was briefly discussed and training for new directors was outlined.

 Those present will give an indication of their interest in joining Amach in the next week. They will be given training before becoming Directors of the company.

Amach LGBT Galway Ltd Annual Report 2010 Final