Sunday Herald

Monday

WAKE up with butterflies in my stomach -- it's the first day of my new job working for Glasgow City Council's Youth Services section developing youth work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people. Reminds me of those first-day nerves going to secondary school.

I meet with Ruth from the LGBT centre in Dixon Street who are kindly hosting me for the next 14 months. She shows me around and furnishes me with copious amount of caffeine and support. She introduces me to a sea of faces from other agencies and volunteers in the centre. Eric Kay, the centre manager, also visits . Everyone is great.

In the afternoon it's off to the City Chambers for a multi-agency meeting looking at the issue of men in prostitution. Meet lots of fascinating people relevant to my new remit. It's my friend Stew's 21st birthday in the evening. We celebrate that -- and me surviving my first day -- with a meal at the noodle bar Ichiban.

Tuesday

By the end of the morning, I've managed to sort out office space, arrange a phone line and contact lots of key partner agencies in the voluntary sector to arrange visits. I settle down to the serious work of preparing budgets and project plans.

Evening brings the Colours LGBT youth group. It goes very well, the young people are excited at the prospect of the Stonewall Youth residential experience . I undertake some group work to explore their attitudes and values around sexuality. Several of the group are keen to help plan the expanded youth provision which is great. All in all a really good day.

Wednesday

I SPEND the day looking at policies from across the UK and identify several projects worth contacting for advice. Also start writing synopsis for paper which I hope to deliver at an youth work conference in September.

In the early evening -- and though it's not strictly my role in the LGBT centre -- I meet several young people who drop into the centre for information and advice. Some harrowing yet all-too-familiar tales of coming to terms with being gay -- bullying, stress, homophobia, and depression to name a few. I reassure them and encourage them to attend youth group.

Thursday

DO some preliminary planning around outreach work in pubs, clubs and venues where LGBT young people spend time. Make enquiries with the marketing department about how to go about getting trendy flyers and leaflets done to promote the youth group and other key services (such as sexual health).

Deal with lots of e-mails and have a really productive meeting with Bridget Sly from the culture and leisure department's forward planning section to research LGBT policies around equality issues. Bridget has a wicked sense of humour, so this helps too.

Friday

SPEND all of the day at a staff seminar looking at culture and leisure's new priorities for the future. Proves to be a great opportunity to promote the LGBT youth work to colleagues as well as to catch up with colleagues from the Sighthill Detached Youth Team that I've just left. A riotous and lavish dinner in my flat with friends tops off another great day.

Saturday

HAVE a lazy day as I'm not officially working today, but I spend lunchtime with survivors from the night before -- good friend and mentor Charlie MacMillan from PHACE Scotland and Derek MacArthur from Stonewall Youth. I cast a critical eye on Derek's dissertation, which is all about gay identity and subcultures within the gay community. No shopping (or indeed any form of living) as it's the dreaded weekend before payday.

Sunday

EXHAUSTED! Armed with anti-histamine tablets (fur allergy!) I head off to Ardrossan to visit three Tonkinese baby fur-balls, two cats and one non-feline mother! I reflect on a truly unique and enjoyable first week in the life of a challenging and rewarding new post.