The Rainbow Project unveiled two new services during a launch event in Holywell Trust on April 1. These services are Rainbow Youth and Cancer Champions, which come soon after The Rainbow Project’s 30th anniversary celebration.
Rainbow Youth is a youth-led project meant for individuals between the ages of 12 to 25 in Derry, Strabane and other surrounding areas. This service encourages LGBTQ+ youth to foster a community, make new friends, and have a reliable support system. This project already has an established Instagram page, which can be found @rainbow_youth_derry.
Cancer Champions is part of a UK-wide, three-year pilot program to tackle health inequalities in communities that struggle to get support for cancer. This program is the first dedicated LGBTQ+ cancer support service in Northern Ireland and aims to strengthen people’s overall knowledge of the disease and reduce barriers to treatment by encouraging LGBTQ+ people affected by cancer to share their stories.
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There are ongoing struggles in Northern Ireland regarding LGBTQ+ support on a political level. The effects of the puberty blocker ban that came into effect in December of 2024 continue to negatively impact transgender and gender non-conforming youth today. Amidst it all, organisations like The Rainbow Project provide essential support for the community in the North.
The establishment of these two new services will ensure that LGBTQ+ people will feel more seen and heard in their everyday lives, which reflects one of the overall goals of The Rainbow Project, as noted by CEO Scott Cuthbertson: “The Rainbow Project is committed to being an organisation for all LGBTQIA+ people in Northern Ireland, and with this investment in jobs and in services from our Foyle office we’re demonstrating that commitment.”
The Rainbow Project will soon be releasing videos which will highlight both of these services and demonstrate their vital impact on the community. Both of these projects are also accepting volunteers, which help to make services like these possible.
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