The hub, located at 4/222 Maude St, will be open from 9.30am to 1pm on Tuesdays and 11am to 1pm on Wednesdays to Saturdays, with future plans for evening hours once a week.
GV Pride treasurer Damien Stevens-Todd is pleased to see that the hub is more accessible.
“We’ve already found an increase in people coming in”.
Inside the hub, visitors can find a clothing swap, pride merchandise and LGBTQIA+ books for sale, alongside free cups of tea and coffee.
The hub also provides brochures and information on services for the community, including other pride organisations, disability support and family violence services.
The increase in opening hours is supported by a combination of volunteers and paid workers, which Daimen said provided opportunities for young people and those who had been out of work for a long period to add something to their resume.
Working at the hub helps develop retail, communication and social skills in a supportive and welcoming environment.
Damien said connection to community and working with peers is valuable for combating social isolation.
“Twenty-three per cent of Victoria’s population live outside metropolitan Melbourne, and we can reasonably expect about 80,000 LGBTIQA+ people to live in regional, rural or remote Victoria,” Daimen said.
“We want people more than ever to have a conversation with us, and the hub is a culturally safe and welcoming environment.”
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