Through discussion and facilitated activities we will explore ideas and imagine possibilities for a more inclusive housing system for LGBTQIA+ people in Northern Ireland. We want to hear your ideas, perspectives and insights on what inclusion is, what it looks like, and how it feels. 

The focus group is part of a research project which seeks to understand how housing and homelessness support for LGBTQIA+ people can be improved. Engagement in the focus group provides an opportunity to have an impact on developing inclusivity within existing housing support providers, as well as to consider the possibility of introducing LGBTQIA+ specific provisions.

*Please note: The Rainbow Project does not provide housing support services at present. This focus group is a space to explore ideas, and will not be able to provide support or advice.

Who can attend

Anyone from the LGBTQIA+ community, who lives or has lived in Northern Ireland can attend. You do not need experience of housing insecurity or homelessness to take part.

Access needs

Unfortunately this project does not have a budget to accommodate access needs which require additional resources. Nonetheless, we are happy to discuss ways which can facilitate attendance and engagement. If you have sensory needs, require particular seating, require larger print text, additional communication supports, need a support worker to attend or anything else, please feel free to get in touch by emailing hannah@rainbow-project.org, and we will endeavour to meet those accommodations.

The room we will be using is on the third floor which is accessible by lift or stairs. The front door has a temporary ramp which can be put in place upon entrance. There is one step and then another three at the entrance. The room is large, has a table, chairs and sofas, and the option of different lighting.

When accessing the building, you will press a buzzer which someone will answer and buzz you in.

Cancellation

Due to limited capacity, if you are no longer able to make it we ask that you cancel the booking, or email hannah@rainbow-project.org.

The post Focus Group: Dreaming LGBTQIA+ Housing Provisions appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

The workshop will be an opportunity to share experiences, barriers and needs with providers across the sector and to discuss what support and preparation housing providers need in developing LGBTQIA+ inclusive practices. Engagement in the workshop will inform recommendations for a research project conducted by The Rainbow Project on LGBTQIA+ inclusion within the housing and homelessness sector in Northern Ireland.

Who can attend

This workshop is for employees within the housing and homelessness sector. We invite participation from managers, frontline staff and staff working in policy, research or strategy roles. We are interested to hear from temporary accommodation providers, housing associations and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Both statutory and VCSE organisations are invited to join. We welcome organisations with varying levels of experience in supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Aims

Through facilitated discussion and interactive exercises, we will:

• Map current inclusive practices, training, policies, outreach and cultural competence across the sector
• Understand the specific needs, support and competencies organisations require to develop and implement inclusive practices
• Discuss potential strategies and approaches which are viable to implement in the Northern Irish homelessness sector
• Foster dialogue across the sector to develop collaborative approaches to LGBTQIA+ inclusion

Participation

Places are limited so we ask that 1-2 people per organisation participate. If you register but are no longer able to attend, please cancel your ticket so the place can be offered to another organisation. If you would like to learn more information about the research project, or your organisation cannot attend but would like to contribute to the research, please contact:

hannah@rainbow-project.org

Location: The Works, 4th Floor,  The MAC, 10 Exchange Street, Belfast.

The post Housing Provider Workshop: LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Practices appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

Whatever way you’re looking to boost your health & wellbeing join us and drop-in to our ‘Spring Health Fair‘ on Sunday 22nd March 1-4PM at LGBT Centre, 23-31 Waring Street, Belfast, BT1 2DX for an easy-going day of chats, craic and community!

Our Spring Health Fair will include;

• • Cancer Champions
  • The Rainbow Project
  • Belfast Frontrunners
  • The Men’s Group
  • The Belfast Trans Resource Centre
  • Queerspace
  • Rainbow Refugees
  • Out Connections 
• Complimentary massage therapies
• ‘Taster’ yoga class for beginners
• Workshop on practical advice & tips for fighting ‘doom-scrolling’ and ‘bedrotting’
• Rapid HIV & Syphilis testing (18+)

Please note, whilst registering will require you to give an address & phone number – you may instead include The Rainbow Project’s address (23-31 Waring Street, Belfast, BT1 2DX) and phone number (028 90 319 030)

You do not need to register to attend, but it is preferred!  

The post Spring Health Fair appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

What is available in this LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training?

This will be an interactive workshop with the aim to provide the following as learning objectives:

• Increase understanding of The Rainbow Project, our services, and other services available to LGBTQIA+ people.
• Learn about identity and its importance, particularly in regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Gain clarity on key language and terminology in regard to LGBTQIA+ people.
• Increase understanding of the health and wellbeing needs for LGBTQIA+ people in relation to experiences in the North West.
• Increase understanding on the key barriers that impact LGBTQIA+ people.
• Learn more about what LGBTQIA+ discrimination is, why it happens and what the impact is.
• Grow in ability to become stronger allies to LGBTQIA+ friends, family, colleagues or loved ones.

What is the North West Learning City Region?

Derry City and Strabane District Council successfully became a member of UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) in July 2019 under the Learning City name of ‘Derry City and Strabane Region’, with the aim to promote lifelong learning for all, it has always been their goal to expand the status to the wider North West Region to include close partners in Donegal.

The North West Tertiary Education Cluster; Derry City and Strabane District Council; and Donegal County Council are relaunching the UNESCO Learning City Initiative with it being expanded to the North West Region to become the ‘North West Learning City Region’.

To celebrate this they are holding a Lifelong Learning Festival on 5th March, 2026 which includes LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training delivered by The Rainbow Project as the leading experts on LGBTQIA+ identities, issues and experiences in the North West.

The post Lifelong Learning Festival – LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

It involves a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes, as opposed to a grief support or counselling session.

The objective is to increase awareness around death, help encourage people to make the most of their lives and support individuals who are going through loss or have lost someone.

Why is it important?
Death, dying and bereavement are a part of life, but this is often a taboo subject and can be difficult to talk about.
Death Cafés offer connection, friendship, friendship, kinship. We know from our previous cafe’s that there are things that come up for LGBTQIA+ folks in a safe space around end of life care, complex grief, funerals, partners, family…we are here to share and to listen.

They are a great way to connect with new people who can understand what you’re thinking, feeling and going through. This allows you to validate your own experiences and remind you that you aren’t alone!

Do I need to have come to a Death Café before?

Not at all, everyone LGBTQIA+ is welcome to attend, regardless of your experiences with death, dying and bereavement. You might be curious about the topic, or just want a dedicated space to discuss it.

Who runs the event?

This event will be externally facilitated by Patricia Lübeck, Birth and Death Doula. It is hosted by the Cancer Champions, a partnership pilot project between The Rainbow Project and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The event will be in Belfast city centre, held in Paperxclips new venue, 162 North Street, from 6-8pm.

Note: This event is strictly for LGBTQIA+ (18+) attendees to ensure that it remains a safe space for service users. 

Catering will be available including refreshments and vegan pastries with gluten-free options.

Register for free below so we can contact you with any changes or updates to the event.

The post LGBTQIA+ Death Cafe Belfast appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

The walk will take around an hour and should be relatively gentle however, it is important to take note of your own ability level. Unfortunately, we will not be able to facilitate lifts or taxis.

Note: places are limited, and it is a strictly 18+, LGBTQIA+ event.

The post LGBTQIA+ Nature Walk for Cancer Awareness 2026 appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

All welcome! You don’t have to be directly affected by cancer to come along, have a chat and find out more about what we do – it might even help you know more about your own screening options, or support a friend or family member.

Drop in over lunch & meet our Cancer Champions Team, along with other inclusive Cancer & LGBTQIA+ support organizations at The MAC to:

• Have some tea, coffee, & sweet treats with our friendly team
• Learn what LGBTQIA+ cancer support looks like
• Get advice & support
• Find out about screening
• Increase your awareness of services so you can better support friends & family

The venue will have multiple health information stalls, both from our staff and from other services.

About World Cancer Day

A global awareness day to raise awareness about cancer, promote early detection, prevention, and treatment, and advocate for improved services. The theme this year is ‘United by Unique’, focused on delivering cancer care that meets people’s individual needs.

Accessibility

The MAC is a fully accessible venue, and the event will be  clearly signposted on the ground floor. Speak to the reception staff on the ground floor if you need any additional assistance.

– Free event – 

-We ask you order your free ticket below for catering numbers –

-You are still more than welcome to drop-in on the day without a ticket – 

The post World Cancer Day 2026: LGBTQIA+ Information Cafe appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

But for those of us who are new to hook-up apps, to exploring their sexuality, or are more tech-weary than tech-savvy – it’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed when starting out on Grindr.

But we’ve got your back! With ‘Grindr for Beginners‘ on Wednesday 28th January 2026 6.30PM at The Rainbow Project, 15 Union Street, Belfast, BT1 2JF we’ll cover everything you’ll need to feel more comfortable, confident and safe on the app including;

• Thinking about why you want to use Grindr and how to set realistic, healthy expectations for its use.
• What’s good and what’s hard (pun-intended) about Grindr
• Staying ‘fresh’ (i.e how to be seen by more profiles)
• Explanation of abbreviations (DL, FWB, LTR, T4T etc.) & Tribes (Sober, Poz, Geek etc.)
• How to stay anonymous, even if you want to share explicit pics or videos
• Using in-app features like ‘expiring photos’ or ‘albums’ and STI testing reminders
• What to discuss with a partner before hooking-up
• How to stay safer at a hook-up 
• Warning signs of sextortion/blackmail and what to do if you’re a victim of it
• How to look after yourself (PEP, PrEP, STI testing etc.)

Whilst we’ll be focusing on Grindr specifically much of the other information about keeping safe on and offline will be applicable to other hook-up or dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, Feeld etc. so even if Grindr isn’t your thing, this workshop still might be for you!

‘Grindr for Beginners’ is suitable for those aged 18 or over.

Please note, whilst registering will require you to give an address & phone number – you may instead include The Rainbow Project’s address (23-31 Waring Street, Belfast, BT1 2DX) and phone number (028 90 319 030) We will only contact you via e-mail. 

The post Grindr for Beginners appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

• Up-to-date information on HIV in Northern Ireland including; rates of transmission, available preventative measures (such as PEP or PrEP), current options for HIV treatment and Undetectable=Untransmittable.
• Discussion about HIV stigma, its impact, and how you might be able to ensure people living with HIV do not encounter similar issues within your service.
• Opportunity to ask questions and listen to the experiences of both people living with HIV and those who provide services for people living with HIV.

The post World AIDS Day: Conference for Professionals appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

It involves a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes, as opposed to a grief support or counselling session.

The objective is to increase awareness around death, help encourage people to make the most of their lives and support individuals who are going through loss or have lost someone.

Why is it important?
Death, dying and bereavement are a part of life, but this is often a taboo subject and can be difficult to talk about.
Death Cafés offer connection, friendship, friendship, kinship. We know from our previous cafe’s that there are things that come up for LGBTQIA+ folks in a safe space around end of life care, complex grief, funerals, partners, family…we are here to share and to listen.

They are a great way to connect with new people who can understand what you’re thinking, feeling and going through. This allows you to validate your own experiences and remind you that you aren’t alone!

Do I need to have come to a Death Café before?

Not at all, everyone LGBTQIA+ is welcome to attend, regardless of your experiences with death, dying and bereavement. You might be curious about the topic, or just want a dedicated space to discuss it.

Who runs the event?

This event will be externally facilitated by Patricia Lübeck, Birth and Death Doula. It is hosted by the Cancer Champions, a partnership pilot project between The Rainbow Project and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The event will be in Belfast city centre, held in Paperxclips new venue, 162 North Street, from 6-8pm.

Note: This event is strictly for LGBTQIA+ (18+) attendees to ensure that it remains a safe space for service users. 

Register for free below so we can contact you with any changes or updates to the event.

The post LGBTQIA+ Death Café – Belfast appeared first on The Rainbow Project.