Feeling lonely? New funding for QLife means they’ll have your back whenever you need them

Lockdown and Covid was rough for literally everyone around the world, so there’s no surprise a few of us struggled. A lot of us struggled. And sometimes it felt like there was nowhere to turn to. Thankfully though, in those dark times and feelings of extreme isolation, loneliness and other thoughts and feelings, there were organisations there – often a call away – offering support where they could. One of those is QLife, Australia’s LGBTQ+ support service, who thankfully received a huge $100k cash injection courtesy of ANZ Bank, all purposed to help with their large influx of requests for assistance during lockdown. QLife experienced a 58% increase in the number of people wanting to access its telephone and web services. It also recorded a 31% increase in calls from people who said they had experienced feelings of “isolation” and “loneliness”. With the support they received, QLife’s managed to dedicate a further 2,250 hours of support to those in need, not only in the lead-up to the recent Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but beyond. So if those thoughts are lingering and the effects of Covid-19 haven’t quite shaken off yet, remember that even on our own, we’re still together.