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Our team have mobilised quickly to ensure as many of our frontline services as possible continue, but with all face-to-face elements delivered through alternative arrangements.

Below is a summary of how our services have adapted across each of our domains:

Sexual & Reproductive Health

  • Physical community clinics are cancelled, replaced with support over the telephone. A new helpline for young people opens on Monday 30th March on 020 8305 5001, lines are open 12:00pm - 3:00pm Monday to Friday.
  • Our outreach activities in local areas, schools and youth groups have been suspended.
  • Our training for professionals has been postponed.
  • Our SASH one-to-one support and counselling has moved to support online and over the telephone.
  • Condoms for young people and condoms for gay and bisexual men and trans people continue to be available through our websites and distribution points that are still able to be open, such as pharmacies. Though the range of condoms might be reduced.
  • Our sexual health advice helpline which focuses on services in Greenwich, Bexley and south west London is open as usual.
  • Our distribution and testing partners can continue to order supplies from us.

Community

  • METRO 50+ is offering support over the telephone.
  • METRO GAVS training is postponed, but ongoing support is being provided over the telephone and by email. Representation of Membership in ongoing.
  • METRO GAD is providing support over the telephone and by email.
  • METRO Walnut has moved to virtual meetings online via the GoTo meeting app. You can also visit LGBT Walnut for more information and support.
  • LGBT Hate Crime support in Greenwich and Lewisham is ongoing via telephone and email. 
  • Strategic Equalities work in Greenwich and Lewisham is ongoing.
  • Our work leading the Connecting Communities Alliance continues, with a number of the frontline services across partners making alternative arrangements for face-to-face services.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Youth

  • All of our LGBTQ youth groups, apart from Inside Out, are meeting virtually either through Zoom or Rocket.
  • METRO Inside Out is reviewing how to proceed for its April meeting.
  • METRO Transcend is now meeting for shorter weekly virtual hangouts, replacing its usual monthly physical meetings.
  • Our Boys and Young Men support is available over the telephone and online.
  • Our Youth Team are looking at ways of offering their training online.

HIV

  • HIV support, advice and advocacy, and information services, including home visits, for individuals and families are being delivered over the phone.
  • Crib and Reach youth groups are not meeting, but telephone support is being provided instead.
  • HIV support groups for adults are not meeting, but telephone support is being provided instead.
  • HIV support groups for adults in Essex and Croydon are exploring possibility of holding virtual groups using tools like Zoom.
  • Our HIV support group in Surrey is meeting virtually using Zoom.
  • Our outreach and testing teams are in the process of being redeployed to support online and telephone prevention and lost to care work.
  • HIV counselling is being delivered online using Zoom and over the telephone.
  • Our creative theatre project continues online via Zoom and Google Hangouts.
  • Our Latin American and Polish HIV prevention and support is still operating via telephone, email and social media.
  • Our Pitstop PLUS website and online outreach continue to operate as usual.
  • Our HIV Advice Helpline is open as usual.