2023 has been another exceptional year. In fact, it marks our 40th year in operation. Initially established in 1983 as the ACT AIDS Action Committee, our organisation was formed by a group of gay men living in Canberra to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region.

In the ACT, there is no peak body representing LGBTIQA+ people or organisations providing services to LGBTIQA+ people. The question of whether the ACT needs a peak body for LGBTIQA+ health and wellbeing is one that arises from time to time, including within the Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs, in the ACT Health Scoping Study, in the commissioning process for peak bodies, and by individual stakeholders. This discussion paper outlines the arguments for and against establishing an LGBTIQA+ peak body in the ACT, and presents some alternative options to establishing a new, separate organisation.

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our communities remain at the heart of our work at Meridian. While Canberra was relatively sheltered from COVID-19 early on, we were hit hard by the pandemic in the first half of this financial year. In response, we rallied to support our communities, working hard to ensure they had access to appropriate health information and resources, COVID-19 vaccinations, and mental health support. We also made sure that our communities could meet their ongoing healthcare needs, including having access to HIV testing facilities, HIV medication, and harm-reduction resources and support.

Information about who can access and how to access Medicare. 

Meridian is proud to present this inaugural Meridian Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2021- 2022. Our Reflect RAP signifies Meridian’s sincere intent to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety through a structured process of establishing and strengthening meaningful and respectful relationships with First Nations’ community members. It was developed by Meridian in consultation with members of the ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and Meridian members.

It has been another busy year as we continue to work at the individual, community, organisational, and public policy levels to achieve positive outcomes for our communities.

We kicked off last financial year by refreshing our strategic plan to ensure we remain at the forefront of achieving positive outcomes for our communities. Our new plan sets out an ambitious program of activities that aim to contribute to eliminating HIV and improving sexual health, improving access to quality services for people living with HIV, creating a safe community, and
improving access to inclusive and knowledgeable health and wellbeing services for people who require support around gender identity and sexuality. The plan also sets an agenda for investing in the organisation to ensure sustainability and growth. The 2021-2024 Strategic Plan is available on our website.

Peak bodies within community sector play an important role in representing the interests of their members and communities to government, as well as strengthening the capacity of, and fostering collaboration within the sector.

Our Year > 2020 - 2021 Snapshot

Peer-led services (sometimes called peer-to-peer or peer-based services) are run by people with the same or similar identities or lived experiences as their service users. They can include peer-led health promotion, peer support groups or counselling, peer service delivery, or peer leadership. These approaches do not replace mainstream models of healthcare provision; they complement and work within and beside mainstream healthcare.

Meridian was invited by the Capital Health Network (CHN) to co-design a service model for delivering mental health services to LGBTIQA+ communities in the ACT under the Psychological Therapies Targeting Priority Populations contract.

Meridian facilitated a co-design process with LGBTIQA+ people to design a service model that would respond to their mental health needs and address the barriers to mental health services that they experience.