Qtopia
Education - Celebration - Support
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Education - Celebration - Support
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Qtopia is an advocacy, social change & social support service for the whole LGBTIA+ rainbow community, based in Ōtautahi Christchurch & working throughout Waitaha Canterbury & Te Waipounamu
Qtopia is the only organisation providing the level of work we do in Ōtautahi Christchurch and across Te Waipounamu. We specialise in social change and systems change. We work with complex contexts, reaching single-sex schools, faith-based communities, and communities affected by geographic isolation – supporting anyone trying to make a difference for our community.
Heathcare Navigation
We can help you navigate Waitaha Canterbury's healthcare system to make sure you're getting the care you need. We can support you through the pathways for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or gender affirming surgery - or recommend you a GP for your general healthcare who we know will be knowledgeable and affirming when they need to be.
For more detail, check out our gender-affirming care guide for Waitaha, and if you have any questions, get in touch!
For Health Professionals
Qtopia provides training, professional development, support and consultation across the healthcare system, and is currently leading a national training programme for primary care. We can help your service make sure you're safe, welcoming, and accessible to your rainbow whānau, and ensure we're reducing barriers to accessing care.
Counting Ourselves (2018) showed that over a third of trans and non-binary people in Aotearoa aren't accessing healthcare when they need it because of the concern about how they'll be treated when they reach out for help. Our training aims to directly address this barrier by building health services that are openly safe, welcoming, and inclusive to our rainbow whānau.
Our national training programme, in partnership with PATHA and supported by te Whatu Ora, is for anyone working in primary care, from GPs and nurses through to allied health and reception and admin teams. Our training is available nationwide, in person and online.
We're not just here for our rainbow whānau - we're here for anyone supporting rainbow people, too. If there's anything we can help with, please get in touch.
Peer Support
Qtopia provides peer support for all transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people in Ōtautahi Christchurch and Waitaha Canterbury regardless of age. This service is funded by Te Whatu Ora Waitaha, so it's totally free of charge.
Our peer support service is here to help you with whatever you need. Most people come to us for one (or more) of three things:
Practical support on your journey of gender recognition, whether it's help navigating the healthcare system, coming out, changing your name, or more.
Support with your wellbeing, and helping you implement the things we know can help.
Social support and connection to community - having someone to catch up with over a cuppa can make a world of difference.
But our peer support service is guided by you, and what you need. We're flexible, too - we can meet when and where suits you best. Lots of our clients enjoy going on regular walks, or going shopping for some affirming clothing - we're not constrained to offices and meeting rooms.
Our peer support service is currently available via a GP referral - ask your GP to refer you to 'Transgender Mental Health Support'. If you don't have a GP, or you'd like recommendations of trans-friendly GPs near you, please get in touch with us!
Education & Professional Development
Our Workshops
Our education programme aims to give you the skills you needed to feel confident and competent in the support you provide to the LGBTQIA+ rainbow people in your environment - whether they're your staff, students, customers, patients, clients, whānau, community members, or more.
We're experts in creating spaces where people feel safe, comfortable, and able to ask their questions - which is where the learning really happens.
In the last three years, we've delivered our education programme to over 15,000 people in 300 organisations across the healthcare, education, social support, corporate sectors and beyond.
We'll customise our approach to your context, making sure everyone in the room leaves with something they can put into practice in their own roles.
To find out more about our professional development programme, please contact us and we'll be in touch.
We're also providers of specialist professional development for healthcare providers - for more information, head to our Healthcare page.
For Schools
Qtopia is an accredited PLD Provider with the Ministry of Education, meaning schools are able to access funding for our support with consultation, policy and procedure development, and full-staff professional development. We'll walk alongside you in your journey of inclusion, being there at every step.
We're specialists in complex contexts, working closely with single-sex, special character, boarding, and faith-based schools.
Find us in the online PLD system by searching 'Qtopia', or send us an email and we'll be in touch!
Groups & Events
Social Groups
Our Social Groups, which have been running for over 15 years, are currently on hold as we carry out an essential review. After many years creating this space for our community, it’s time to give this service the attention and care it deserves to ensure it is safe, effective, and meets the needs of our community. While we don’t have a timeline yet, we’re committed to relaunching this service.
We’re working on making these improvements, by focusing on building and training our team, improving our policies and processes, and finding fit-for-purpose venues to support our new and improved service.
We kindly ask for your patience. We’re looking forward to welcoming you all back once we’re ready, stronger and better than ever.
Events
Celebration is core to our kaupapa - it's so important that we get the chance to celebrate ourselves, our lives, and our community.
Qtopia runs events throughout the year in Ōtautahi Christchurch and Waitaha Canterbury to provide opportunities to celebrate, including our popular Pride Ball, alongside markets, marches, panels, learning opportunities, and more.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date information about our events.
Do you have an idea for an event? Get in touch!
