Saturday 8th March 2025 will see a grand gala dinner hosted at the iconic Titanic Building in Belfast to celebrate a combined century of unwavering support and advocacy from three of Northern Ireland’s LGBTQIA+ organisations: The Rainbow Project, HereNI, and Cara-Friend. This event will mark 100 years of relentless dedication, remarkable achievements, and forward momentum in championing equality and acceptance for all. 

Cara-Friend – Celebrating their 50th Year!

Cara-Friend are celebrating 50 years of supporting the physical, mental and emotional well being of the LGBTQIA+ community in Northern Ireland. Formed from humble beginnings in 1974 by members of the Gay Lib Society at Queen’s University, Cara-Friend volunteers responded to thousands of helpline calls and letters, and provided vital befriending support which helped build a thriving community. 

Today Cara-Friend supports LGBTQIA+ inclusive youth services, delivers awareness and anti-bullying training in businesses and schools, supports smaller LGBTQIA+ community groups and continues to work in close partnership with our sector colleagues such as The Rainbow Project and Here NI.  Visit our website to find out more: https://cara-friend.org.uk/

Since 1994, the Rainbow Project has been working for a better Northern Ireland for LGBTQIA+ people and their families. We change lives through our service provision which mitigates the impacts of discrimination, and we change society through our training, campaigning and policy work, which seeks to eliminate the root causes of that discrimination and deliver full social and legal equality for LGBTQIA+ people. 

We currently employ a team of 30 staff, 4 sessional workers and a number of volunteers located across our three offices located in Belfast & Foyle, and we deliver services and programmes across Northern Ireland. In what is an extremely challenging time for LGBTQIA+ communities, these services, as well as our campaigning and lobbying work, play an even more vital role in ensuring that all LGBTQIA+ people in Northern Ireland are safe, protected from discrimination, and free to be themselves.

HERe NI are the only LGBTQIA+ organisation across the north who work specifically with LGBTQIA+ women and their families. We have a large number of peer support groups that ensure women feel they are heard, listened to and that they belong. A fundamental aspect of our core work is engaging with LGBTQIA+ women on the issues that matter to them, and then raise these issues at government level.  

Many of the participants of our activities have said that engaging has saved their lives. We have been instrumental in shaping legislation and changing the law to ensure our community has the protection and equality they deserve. We currently offer a range of different training packages that can be accredited and non accredited. This training is available to the community and voluntary sector, public sector and private sector. The women we work with each day are at the centre of our organisation.  Visit our website to find out more: https://hereni.org/