Article By Thushara S. Chandrasiri
As one of the few human rights organisations outside of London, ReportOUT in the short space of time that it has been established, has already gained great support, especially from young adults from the local community. One person in particular is 17 year old Alesha Weatherston.
Alesha, from Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, U.K., as well as being a volunteer at ReportOUT herself, is committed to raising awareness of the work of the valuable work that the charity undertakes to address the importance of SOGI rights across the globe.
When asked about what it is about her time at ReportOUT she enjoys the most, she explained:
“I have enjoyed creating events and coming up with fresh ideas that we can use in the future. I have also enjoyed going to events and meeting new people. I have also enjoyed gaining more knowledge on the LGBT community.“
Driven by her desire to make a positive impact, Alesha been proactive by arranging a number of creative fundraising activities, thus demonstrating when it comes to ways to support ReportOUT she isn’t afraid to think outside of the box and take initiative.
Her latest gesture of kindness was a raffle which was hosted on social media, which she worked alongside Donna McKay, the charity’s Events Coordinator. Much like the current Ride For Rights campaign, Alesha explained that she wanted to arrange something which was fun and light-hearted that anyone could take part in.
Reflecting on how the raffle went she stated:
“I was proud of how many people got involved with the raffle. I was happy that we got such a good response of everybody and I was shocked at how quickly the raffle filled up I will be doing this again.”
It should also be noted that Alesha has also done other brilliant fundraising activities such as a bake sale which was held at her local college – a combination of SOGI rights and cake – whats not to love! Much like the raffle, the bake sale too saw great success, not just in terms of raising funds, but more importantly creating a safe environment where other young people can also start to learn more about the work of ReportOUT and its commitment to address the importance of SOGI rights.
When asked about the reaction from the other young people who attended the bake sale, Alesha told us:
"When I got the money from the bake sale, I was proud of myself on how much I made for the organisation and I was also hoping that I got more young people interested in ReportOUT as people were asking what the charity was and why we made the cakes with a rainbow theme."
It is clear from speaking to Alesha that in addition to being a volunteer, she also has a big heart which sees her go above and beyond to, help the organisation support SOGI rights around the world. She truly is a brilliant young woman who leads by example and shows us all that we all have the power to make a positive difference to create an equal and safe global society.