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.

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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!  

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This decision runs contrary to the Executive’s stated agreement to participate in this trial, and demonstrates that the apparent need for evidence-gathering and more research are being abandoned in favour of political game-playing and culture wars.

Alexa Moore, Policy Campaigns & Communications Manager at The Rainbow Project, said, “The Executive claimed that its ban on puberty blockers was based on evidence: this decision is very clearly based on politics. This clinical trial was held up by Executive parties across the board as a means by which to gather the evidence for the use of blockers, assess their safety and efficacy, and make a decision on their use on that basis.

“Trans communities are bearing the brunt of a political culture that views us as a stick with which to beat political opponents, not as real people with real lives and real healthcare needs. This decision demonstrates that no amount of evidence, no amount of research, no amount of suffering within trans communities will trump the need for politicians to score political points against each other at our expense.”

A Freedom of Information Request submitted by Belfast Live and seen by The Rainbow Project showed that, when approving the indefinite ban on puberty blockers, “Ministers agreed that the scientific and medical advice must be followed and noted the importance in public messaging of referring to the clinical trial as providing an evidence base for future policy decisions in this area.”

Scott Cuthbertson, CEO of The Rainbow Project, said, “The Health Minister’s reversal of his position on this clinical trial, coming on the same week as the Justice Minister was forced by Executive colleagues to remove protections for trans people from her Hate Crime legislation, demonstrates very clearly that this Executive is not interested in doing anything at all to improve the lives of trans people.

“We are clear: the Executive’s decision to ban puberty blockers was contingent on both the funding of gender services and participation in this clinical trial. All Executive parties agreed to this course of action. If Northern Ireland will not partake in these trials, Northern Ireland should not have a ban on puberty blockers – it should be reversed, and doctors should once again be empowered to make decisions in the best interests of their patients.”

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

• The Freedom of Information request referenced above can be found here: https://www.rainbow-project.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Final-Executive-Minutes-E-M-24-22-Executive-meeting-10-December-2024-1.pdf
• The indefinite ban on puberty blockers, passed by the Executive in December 2024, only applies to their use as treatment for under-18s experiencing gender incongruence. Puberty blockers remain routine medicine used in other treatments, including for under-18s, such as precocious puberty.
• The Justice Minister stated in the Assembly on Tuesday 10th February that “I sought the agreement of [Executive] colleagues to include “transgender” in the list of protected groups under the hate crime provisions in the sentencing Bill. Regrettably, there has been a lack of consensus on that measure, so I have had to remove “transgender” from the list of protected groups identified in the Bill.”

The post Press Release: “NI Executive, Stop Playing Politics with Trans Lives” 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.

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Pop us an email, let’s have a chat about it:  events@rainbow-project.org

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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.

Fans had the opportunity to purchase the Giants’ Pride jersey, which was also worn by the team, proceeds from which went towards our work to deliver LGBTQIA+ equality in Northern Ireland. Fans were also able to buy tickets for the Shirt Off The Back raffle, giving them the chance to win jerseys worn by some of the Giants during the Pride game, again with all proceeds donated to The Rainbow Project to help fund our vital services. This support directly helps us continue delivering mental health support, advocacy, impactful campaigns, and life-saving services for LGBTQIA+ people and their families.

On the night, our team were also based on The Bridge, speaking with fans about the work we do and sharing information about how people can access support. It was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when sport and community come together in solidarity.

A huge thank you to the Belfast Giants and their supporters for standing with us – all are equal in the land of the Giants!

The post Thank You Belfast Giants: A Powerful Night of Pride and Support appeared first on The Rainbow Project.

Click here to check out the videos

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