Switchboard on track
Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program
Switchboard are thrilled to be part of the Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program (YTCPP) as one the six community organisations to take part in the annual program. This program provides in-kind advertising annually to community organisations committed to creating a more resilient and sustainable Melbourne.
The community partnerships program theme has varied over the years to recognise charitable and non-for-profit organisations that focus on important issues that are meaningful to Melburnians. The theme for 2024 is “Uplift, Empower and Grow”, and Switchboard was chosen along side Bailey House’s Hidden Disability Sunflower, DeadlyScience, Tradeswomen Australia, Western Chances and WISE Employment.
Catch our “Connecting the LGBTIQA+ Community” tram on the network from April 9 to July 23, 2024.
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Photos by James Morgan
Where is the tram?
To locate the tram in real time:
The Yarra Trams, tramTRACKER app allows you to find the tram any time of the day.
Creating a tram design of intersectional queer joy
The Switchboard community partnership with Yarra Trams aimed to create a tram that encouraged connection, conversation and provided help-seeking information.
It’s an opportunity to reach a wider section of the community that might not know about our services or how Switchboard can support you, your family and your community.
Connect with Switchboard and the LGBTIQA+ community:
We invite you to join us on the journey towards a more compassionate and connected future for the whole LGBTIQA+ community.
Need to discuss something tricky? Not sure where to start? Contact our free specialist services Rainbow Door and QLife via phone, SMS or online webchat.
Explore our website and spread the word about our services and resources in your communities. You can learn about our suicide prevention resource Charlee, read QGuides designed for health professionals working with LGBTIQ+ people and download resources.
Find out how you can work, volunteer or fundraise with Switchboard and help the LGBTIQA+ community thrive.
Switchboard proudly continues LGBTIQA+ community legacies of caring for our own, by providing ongoing support and services to Victoria’s ever-evolving LGBTIQA+ communities.
Not only is this vibrant LGBTIQA+ Switchboard tram going to been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, it is also going to be seen by many in the LGBTIQA+ community who are feeling isolated, attacked and alone. I couldn't be prouder for Switchboard to be in partnership with Yarra Trams to deliver these beautifully designed messages of hope and love, which will weave through the suburbs and CBD. After all, at Switchboard we want to make the inclusion, acceptance and safety of LGBTIQA+ people as synonymous with being Victorian as a Melbourne tram is.
Joe Ball, CEO of Switchboard Victoria
Affirming and inclusive LGBTIQA+ care
Our staff and volunteers are members of the LGBTIQA+ community and have specialist skills to help you navigate being you. Just like Yarra Trams, we help you to get where you want to be.
Switchboard staff member reflection:
Seeing a Switchboard tram in the 90s would have blown my tiny mind. To see an entire tram that reflected some of my life on its exterior would have seemed so unreal to me. Knowing about Switchboard when I was younger would have given me a sense of connection that I didn't have. It would have given me confidence when I felt unsure, friendship when I felt lonely and a community to be a part of.
Working at Switchboard for me is about radical love and resistance. The work we do is resistance against all the structures and haters that want us to disappear. We won't disappear. We will always find a way to care for ourselves and each other. Working at Switchboard is taking care of myself and my community.
LGBTIQA+ peer support and referral
Learn about the artwork on Switchboard Tram!
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Play with Pride
Everyone deserves the right to participate in the sport of their choice. Ensuring your team, club, league welcomes and celebrates LGBTIQA+ participants is something we all can do.
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Pride in Ageing
Being connected with community is good for our health and wellbeing. It can give us a sense of pride and safety and helps us participate in activiites we enjoy.
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![Our Stories matter]()
Our stories matter
LGBTIQA+ people deserve to have their lives, experiences and identities celebrated in stories, public places and events. What better place than a Rainbow Storytime in a public library.
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We are here for you
Whether you’re an ally, a community member, or someone seeking support, there are numerous ways to connect to the LGBTIQA+ community with Switchboard Victoria.
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You belong
At Switchboard we want members of the LGBTIQA+ community to know that they are loved and valued for being who they are. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to be, and only you can be you.
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Connecting the LGBTIQA+ community
Switchboard services are free to the general public. We offer inclusive and affirming care, support and referral for and by the LGBTIQA+ community.
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Check in with your friends
It’s always good to check in with the people you love and care about. Switchboard proudly continues LGBTIQA+ community legacies of caring for our own through peer-support and lived experiences.
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Love makes a family
Families come in all shapes and sizes. LGBTIQA+ people have been creating families made from love for generations. Every family deserves respect and the right to access community services.
Designing the proudly queer tram artwork
Switchboard’s tram was designed by queer illustrator Jacq Moon - who has worked with Switchboard on a number of projects over the years
Image of Jacq Moon (left) and Switchboard staff member Claire Flynn (right) at the launch of the tram. Photo by James Morgan
"When I created the illustrations for the Switchboard tram - I wanted to capture some of the beauty of our community and the way we connect, support and affirm each other through bright, fun and bold images. The artwork for the tram was created to reinforce the idea that every one deserves the opportunity to thrive - and that queer joy can be found through connection and peer support and unapologetic pride every day."
Jacq Moon, designer
