Get our support.
How can our bears help you?
We provide mainly two types of services:
- Assistance for safe spaces
Where we provide a group of trained volunteers to ensure a safe and inclusive environment in the crowds of an event. This includes assisting shy or lonely newcomers in socializing through the event, providing attention, time and adequate resources to people in distress, addressing situations of exclusion, discrimination or violence or deescalating conflictual situations. - Logistical help
Where we provide a group of volunteers to give a hand in the logistical organization or preparation of a queer initiative. This can include helping setting up a stage, moving materials, providing assistance in cleaning or cooking for group initiatives, for example.
We welcome and discuss any and all proposition and demand for help, and can customize our services depending on the needs of the community involved.
We are available for any Belgium-based LGBTQIA+ association or collectives who needs help in providing a safe environment in an event, or a few more hands to make punctual actions easier.
Our focus aims particularly towards assisting the most vulnerable minorities of the LGBTQIA+ community, including, but not restricted to elderly gay and lesbian groups, trans and non-binary initiatives or queer refugees collectives.
We are neither security services nor social workers!
We are not entitled or willing to ensure physical security or physically remove individuals being a threat or behaving in anti-social ways.
We however handle conflictual situation through attempts at deescalating, providing time and space to placate aggressive behaviors or redirecting the people concerned to the adequate services or authorities, following our own safety guidelines and the limits of the asking organization.
We are not either entitled or willing to provide individual social or psychological assistance to people at risk.
We however handle persons in situation of distress through providing time, space and attention to their needs and situation. Depending on the situation, we can redirect those individuals towards adequate services or help, following our own safety guidelines and the limits of the asking organization.
All Carebears have to follow a training provided by inclusivity and safety professional organization A Nous la Nuit.
This training includes sections on one hand inclusive practices and speech regarding gender-based, origins-based and transectional systemic discriminations as to provide each Carebear with the proper attitude to intervene in minority contexts with awareness of their position, status and privileges.
On the other hand, this training provides each Carebears with practical tools and practises to address situations of aggressions and discriminations, with regards to the legal and social frameworks we work under.
This training finally includes a set of resources that each Carebear can use to redirect specific cases towards adequate assistance, if the situation requires more professional help.
By principle, the Carebear Initiative is a volunteer-based, free service.
Depending on the nature and location of the help needed, and the status and ressources of the organization asking for help, we reserve the right to discuss the possibility of benefiting of a small fee, reimbursement or services exchange. This is however not a requirement, so reach out!
Reach out to us through Instagram (@thecarebear_initiative) or by email (info@carebearinitiative.be) and provide us details on how we could help, so we start discussing about it!
For ease of discussion, please provide as much details as are available, including the identity of the asking organization, the nature of help desired, the location and time of the event or initiative you would like help with, or any detail that can help us understand better how we can help you.
The Carebear Initiative being entirely volunteer-based, please allow 3-10 days of waiting time on your first ask.
We are currently an informal collective held under the responsibility of the Belgium Bearpride ASBL. All juridical and financial matters are negotiated with and under the responsibility of Belgium Bearpride.
Convinced you need a bear?
Fill in our contact form and we’ll get you connected to our volunteers.