Ambassador Programme

Just Like Us is the LGBT+ young people’s charity. We’re here for you.

Ambassadors Millie and Isaac

Join our Ambassador Programme

If you’re LGBT+ and age 18 to 25, we’d love you to join our Ambassador Programme.

You’ll be joining the UK’s biggest community of LGBT+ 18 to 25 year olds volunteering their time to change the world.

By volunteering your time, you’ll use your voice to help others, learn new skills and find LGBT+ friends along the way. You can take part anywhere in the UK.

“I have found a lot of peace, healing, and joy in my work as an ambassador. I look forward to the school talks so much and I have grown in confidence as a result.”

Olive, a Just Like Us ambassador

What does the Ambassador Programme involve?

  • Find community – LGBT+ young people who take part say it’s how they made life-long friendships and felt less alone for the first time

  • Learn new skills – you’ll get the chance to take part in workshops where you’ll develop employability skills and learn how to advocate for yourself and other LGBT+ young people in the media and beyond

  • Get a career mentor – you’ll be paired with a senior LGBT+ professional in the industry you’re interested in, helping your confidence to grow in the world of work

  • Use your voice – get training to speak in schools about your lived experiences, becoming the visible role model you needed, and inspiring the next generation to be allies

“Before Just Like Us, I didn’t have a support network, and I barely knew anyone who identified as LGBTQ+. But being part of this community has completely changed that. I’ve found people who love me for who I am. Now, I feel heard, valued, and understood as an LGBTQ+ person, something I never had back home.”

Scout, a Just Like Us ambassador

“Just Like Us has genuinely changed my life. I came to the charity having just overcome a lot of internalised homophobia. I didn’t realise until I started doing school talks that I had so much work left to do. It means a lot to me personally, this charity, and what it’s done for my life. I feel like I have a family here.”

Maitreyi

Supported by the National Lottery

With thanks to the National Lottery, which supports our Ambassador Programme in London and the South East.

FAQs

Our Ambassador Programme is for LGBT+ young people aged 18 to 25 in England, Scotland and Wales.

At Just Like Us, we know there is no one way to be LGBT+. We welcome LGBT+ young people from all walks of life and our ambassador community is very diverse mix across socio-economic background, faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and more.

If you’re already 25, you can still sign up. Once you reach 26, you can then also join our alumni network.

If you are LGBT+, 18 to 25 and living in the UK, please sign up and we’ll contact you about our next training dates.

You can volunteer in-person and/or online from across the UK as part of the programme. We provide a wide variety of opportunities such as sharing your story of growing up LGBT+ in school talks or on panels and taking part in skill and employability workshops. Everyone who joins becomes part of our national community of LGBT+ young people.

All ambassadors attends a two-day training to join the programme, and then you can volunteer across the year depending on your schedule and availability.

Set across two days, either in person at locations across England, Wales and Scotland or online, you’ll be joined by lots of LGBT+ young people and our staff team who will give you a very warm welcome and help you settle into the Just Like Us community.

You will get the chance to talk with other trainee ambassadors and hear their stories too – for many, it’s the first time sharing as space with so many LGBT+ young people from all walks of life. Many ambassadors make lifelong friends at our training – it’s all about finding and building community together.

At the training, you will learn how to build and share your story in schools, understand how to speak effectively to pupils and get support to do your first school talk. You’ll also find out how you can take part in a variety of opportunities for young people on our Ambassador Programme – from access to career mentoring and workshops to using your voice in the media.

Sign up to become an ambassador.

We’re flexible. Taking part in our Ambassador Programme can fit around your busy job, studies, caring responsibilities or whatever it may be that you’re also committed to.

We understand that some people have less time to volunteer – that’s why we always keep flexibility in mind.

We have lots of different opportunities – such as skills workshops and young people’s events – that you can get involved with on evenings and weekends as well as weekdays so that everyone has the chance to participate. Sign up to become an ambassador.

It’s really normal to be nervous. Many of our new volunteers feel like this but soon realise everyone is in the same boat!

One of our ambassadors, Arber, says: “Although I nervously and very anxiously signed up, not thinking it would do much for my life, I am forever grateful that I did. Being an ambassador has fulfilled a deep longing I’d had internally for many years – I’ve also met some amazing individuals, who I today consider to be some of my dearest friends.”

We have lots of ambassadors who are not out when they join us. You might be out to just one friend, colleagues or no one at all – and that’s OK.

There is no judgement, no pressure and no requirement to be fully out while you volunteer with us.

We are here to support you on your journey.

Joe, one of our ambassadors, explains: “Coming to their training, it felt supportive and homely – it felt like a safe space.”

Just Like Us will give you all the training and support you need to do a school talk. We’ll help you tell your story in a way that feels comfortable for you, and inspires school pupils to become allies to LGBT+ people.

You’ll always be paired up with another ambassador when giving a talk, so you’ll never be on your own.

Some of our talks are online but most happen in person, where you’ll be able to meet pupils and see your impact face to face. Sharing your lived experiences in a school talk is a powerful moment – you’ll grow in confidence and see the difference you’re making for the next generation.

Silver, a Just Like Us ambassador, explains: “I decided to volunteer with Just Like Us because I wanted to ensure fewer LGBT+ teenagers faced what I did. I couldn’t be happier I did so! I have helped young people who might be suffering through what I have, realise that there is a light at the end of the darkness. I have witnessed pupils come out and be met with immediate support and love from peers. Children who have listened to my school talk have made pledges to never use homophobic language again or have apologised for their behaviour. I feel a little more positive each time I complete a school talk.”

Read Lucy’s story

Ambassador Lucy Ryan writes about being LGBT+ and disabled

Listen to our podcast

Listen to tow of our ambassadors interview Lady Phyll about growing up LGBT+

Read Arber’s story

Ambassador Arber Gashi shares how volunteering helped him embrace being LGBT+ and Muslim