Courses run by GMFA
GMFA courses use a mix of information, skills and activities that allow you to learn what you want to in a safe, fun and friendly atmosphere. They are facilitated by trained and experienced volunteers of GMFA, many of whom are facilitators in their professional life as well.
GMFA provides Stop Smoking courses for gay men in London. GMFA also works with with CHAPS partner agencies to provide groupwork in London and across the UK. Details of GMFA courses outside London can be found on our National Groupwork site: www.gmfa.org.uk/national.
Courses held on Saturdays normally run from 10am to 5pm. The Stop Smoking Course meetings are held on weekdays from 7pm to 9pm. Please be aware that you may be refused entry to a course if you arrive after the start time.
Men of all ages book on to GMFA courses and 96% of our past participants would recommend the course they have attended to another gay man.
If you are interested in attending a GMFA course we recommend that you read the course information first and then book your place via the online booking form. We’ve also provided a page of ‘important information’ in case you have any other questions that haven’t been answered here.
We look forward to seeing you on one of our courses.
Currently available:
Courses in GMFA’s London programme:
| 1 day | Saturday 24 January 2009 from 10am to 5pm |
|---|---|
| Booking | Book a place. |
A lack of confidence in sexual situations can force you into accepting whatever sex is on offer rather than what you want. The Confident Cruising course is a one day course and is designed to help you improve your cruising skills, whether you’re in a bar, a sauna, online or just walking down the street.
Who should attend?
Confident Cruising is for any gay or bisexual man who wants to sharpen their cruising skills both online and face to face.
Course Detail
The course will help you develop the confidence and skills to negotiate the sex you want, keep to your safer sex rules, and enable you to say no when you want to when cruising or arranging to meet someone. You’ll learn some top tips and practical ways that can help improve the chances of getting more of what you want.
You’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of all of the different places that gay men cruise, and build your understanding about how to get the best out of every way that you cruise. You’ll build a better idea of what you want, and the confidence to approach the men you like. And you’ll develop your ability to be honest with yourself about whether you will be successful that time with that guy, or whether to move on or leave.
| No dates currently available. |
Getting a Boyfriend is a one day course designed to help you approach relationships with a new understanding of yourself and what you want from your love-life.
Who should attend?
Getting a Boyfriend is for any gay man that wants to improve their understanding about the processes involved in looking for a partner and establishing a relationship with them.
Course detail:
The course covers the time from preparing for and meeting a potential partner up until about 3 months into the relationship.
The course is designed to help you understand whether you are ready for a relationship; what you bring to, and want from a relationship as well as the qualities that attract you to a man. Practical exercises will help you to have a better understanding of yourself, and of what you look for in a relationship and in a potential partner.
The course also covers the sexual decisions that are made in relationships, how your safer sex strategy may change, and how to minimise your risks of HIV and STI infection.
| Begins | Tuesday 13 January 2009 from 7pm to 9pm |
|---|---|
| Continues | Tuesday 20 January 2009, Tuesday 27 January 2009, Tuesday 3 February 2009, Tuesday 10 February 2009, Tuesday 17 February 2009, Tuesday 24 February 2009 |
| Booking | Book a place. |
| Next date | Thursday 12 February 2009 from 7pm to 9pm |
| Continues | Thursday 19 February 2009, Thursday 26 February 2009, Thursday 5 March 2009, Thursday 12 March 2009, Thursday 19 March 2009, Thursday 26 March 2009 |
| Booking | Book a place. |
Gay men are more likely to smoke, start smoking earlier, and continue smoking for longer than straight men. HIV positive gay men are more likely to smoke than HIV negative gay men, and are more likely to suffer from smoking related illnesses, such as lung cancer and emphysema, than HIV negative smokers.
GMFA has been running Stop Smoking courses for gay men since 2001 that are specifically designed and facilitated by gay men and based on the NHS approved course. Having an all gay group to quit with makes it easier for you to share how quitting will impact on your life when socialising, cruising or relaxing.
Who should attend?
The course is for any gay or bisexual man who wants to quit smoking. In addition, the course is particularly useful for men with HIV as it is the only UK course that contains advice on the interaction of Nicotine Replacement Therapy with HIV treatment.
Course Detail
If you want to stop smoking then our seven session Stop Smoking course for gay men can help. Evidence shows that the support you get from a Stop Smoking course, combined with the relief from withdrawal symptoms that Nicotine Replacement Therapy gives you, makes your attempt to quit ten times more likely to succeed than if you use willpower alone.
During the course the facilitators will cover some of the ‘science bits’ to help you understand why you find it so hard to quit and how to get the maximum benefit from any of the Nicotine Replacement Therapies that you may choose to use. The main emphasis of the group meetings is on understanding and supporting you through your quit attempt.
The third week of the course is the quit date and the group quits smoking together (so keep smoking until then). At each subsequent meeting until the end of the course you have your carbon monoxide level tested using monitors which verify that you have stopped smoking.
You should not be discouraged from joining a group by fear of failure as everyone in the group knows how difficult it can be to quit, and anyone who doesn’t succeed in their attempt will be shown sympathy and understanding.
Print this page
Send to a friend
Subscribe for updates
Feedback on this page
