Nine youth services receive award for LGBTQ+ inclusion

Nine youth services from across Ireland have been awarded Belong To LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland’s Rainbow Award at a ceremony which took place on Wednesday, 21 January at Wood Quay Venue, Dublin 2.

The youth services, which collectively work with over 11,000 young people throughout the country, received the recognition following the completion of the 18-month programme designed to ensure their youth services are fully inclusive of LGBTQ+ young people.

The ceremony was attended by staff and youth members representing the services being recognised and was hosted by presenter and podcaster Fionnuala Jones.

Nine Youth Services Awarded

The youth services accredited with the Rainbow Award at the ceremony include:

• Crosscare Dun Laoghaire Youth Service, Dublin
• Crosscare Swords & Baldoyle Youth Service, Swords
• EPIC – Empowering People in Care, nationwide
• Foróige Dublin City, Dublin
• Kerry Community Youth Service, Kerry
• Sphere17, Dublin
• Swan Regional Youth Services, Dublin
• Youth Theatre Ireland, nationwide
• Youth Work Ireland, Tipperary

The Rainbow Award initiative was established by Belong To in 2023 to support and accredit LGBTQ+ safe and supportive youth services. Over the course of 12 to 18 months, youth services are supported in implementing evidence-based actions across a number of key areas, which research shows improve the wellbeing and safety of LGBTQ+ youth.

The initiative is funded by the HSE National Office of Suicide Prevention, the Department of Education and Youth, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Toast.

Providing LGBTQ+ people with a space to feel safe and welcome

Speaking at the ceremony, Carmel Walsh, Director of Youth Services at Belong To said: “In a world growing more polarised, young people in every county in Ireland need to know they are celebrated. The Rainbow Award is a promise to LGBTQ+ youth that there is a local space where they are seen, valued, and supported. When a young person walks into a service, they aren’t just entering a building. They are entering a sanctuary. They are letting their guard down, perhaps for the first time all day. Whether it is sitting down over a slice of pizza or offering a listening ear, these youth workers, staff, and volunteers are creating the safe and inclusive environments that our community depends on.”

Belong To LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland is the national organisation supporting LGBTQ+ youth across the country. Applications are now open for youth services and organisations in and across Ireland which would like to work towards achieving the Rainbow Award in 2026. For more information, visit www.belongto.org.