(he/him)

Mark is a volunteer Youth Leader and Committee Secretary for Out Of The Can (OOTC), a project for LGBTQ+ young people.

Mark joined OOTC when a colleague in his day job mentioned that OOTC were looking for a male role model.  Mark appreciated the importance of this role as, when he was at school, Section 28 had yet to be repealed and there was little or no support for young LGBTQ+ young people.  Eager to give back and make a difference, Mark now volunteers as a youth leader and committee secretary for OOTC.

As a ‘role model’ at OOTC, Mark feels that he can show the young people that they can have the things they want in their lives.  He strives to give them the hope and confidence they need to achieve personal wellbeing.  He is a qualified mental health first aider and leverages this when needed to further support the young people.  His aim is to do further youth work training.  He is also ambitious for OOTC, keen to see it become a registered charity, have their own premises, and open more much needed groups.

Mark is also trained in safeguarding and health and safety.  In his main job in regulatory compliance, he is the LGBTQ+ lead for his company.