Volunteers Week Scotland: Moira

Hello, I’m Moira (she/they/xie), and I am the community group leader for Non-Binary Edinburgh which is a bi-weekly online group for non-binary and genderqueer people to get together.

What was your journey to becoming a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

Before helping start Non-BinaryEdinburgh, I had been part of other community groups such as T-time, getting to know all of the other members and getting to know the community as a whole.

It was a sort of a whirlwind moment when I was invited to help at one of the meetings when there was a few extra hands needed. I remember being so nervous when being asked to take over as group leader, at the time it had been such a big step up and I was never sure if I was responsible or organised enough to be able to do such a thing!

What do you do as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

I run the Non-Binary Edinburgh community group, which originally used to be prepping and organising an in person space, community events, as well as bringing in guest speakers for meetings.

At the start of the pandemic in 2022, we moved our group meetings online, first to Zoom, and then later to Discord, making use of our already large online space to help make sure people still stay in touch.

Now as we function as a mostly online space, I work as a moderator for our server, helping maintain a digital safe space for our community.

What are you the most proud of as a volunteer?

One of the things I am most proud of would have to be the online space that myself and the other community leaders and members have been able to build together. Whether it is in person, or online. I’m proud of the space that we have been able to make. A group of people that are happy to help others and make a space that is not only welcoming but supportive. We are all in different stages of our journey, and it’s wonderful to have a judgement free space that allows us to help each other.

What more are you hoping to achieve as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

My big achievement I have on the horizon would be to bring the group events back in person, we’ve been very cautious for all our members. We’ve got big plans for introducing a mixed delivery for both digital and in person events. We want the best of both world for our members, recognising the needs of everyone and trying to make it as accessible as possible is our goal.

If you could change one thing for the LGBT community, what would it be?

A big question, I’m not sure where to start. There are so many things which I would change. I think the biggest thing would be accessibility for disability and neurodiversity. As a community, we don’t just need accommodation, we need universal access. From wheelchair access, to providing safe spaces. It’s not as big or as complicated as people think, but it does need to come from the top down with people being educated on how they can make their spaces better.

Do you have a role model? Someone who inspires you?

I’m not sure if I have a role model, so much as people who just help me improve myself, or people who have taught me a great deal in the great art of “Doing and being better”, I have a lot of friends and family who I consider the best and most supportive people who have been with me through my life in all the ups and downs. I think having a specific person to be aspirational to is a little difficult, be your own person, don’t measure yourself by the standards of another, strive to do what they do, but don’t worry if you don’t feel like you can measure up to someone else, because I bet you that someone else is looking up at you and wondering how they can measure up to what you’re doing.