LGBTI Youth Work
Youth Work Ireland at Dublin Pride
In 2024 we again welcomed youth groups to Dublin the morning of Dublin Pride for a pre-Pride breakfast. This event is a highlight of our year and creates a safe and proud space for young LGBTQI+ people to come together, celebrate and get ready to march. As always it was colourful, energetic, fun, life changing for some, and most importantly, a safe and inclusive space for young people from our LGBTQI+ youth groups to celebrate their identity in a safe and accepting environment.
This event is also a chance for us to recognise and promote the role youth work and youth workers plays in accompanying young LGBTQI+ people on their journey to self-actualisation. By providing a whole range of services, activities, proud spaces and advocacy efforts, our Youth Work Ireland youth services throughout Ireland, help create a more inclusive society where all young people can flourish.
Creating Proud Spaces in Rural Communities
Youth Work Ireland Member Youth Services are the largest providers of LGBTQI+ youth work in Ireland and provide direct supports and services to young LGBTQI+ people. Our work is guided by best practices, principles and values of inclusive youth work.
Our clubs, projects and youth groups provide young LGBTQI+ people with a safe and inclusive space where they can hang out with their peers in a safe environment where they can meet, relax, talk, listen to music, and participate in games and organised social and educational activities, supported by trained and professional youth practitioners. Through our services we address issues and concerns that affect LGBTQ+ young people and help increase the self-confidence and self acceptance of LGBTQ+ young people. We also work with other community groups, organisations and schools to increase awareness about homophobic bullying and discrimination.
The Proud Spaces model of work with young LGBTQI+ people is underpinned by our distinct Proud Spaces Model of Practice. This way of working with young LGBTQI+ people is underpinned by the values and principles of youth work. It is also informed by research carried out by Youth Work Ireland on the needs, life situations and challenges faced by young LGBTQI+ people and the identified outcomes young people and youth workers say they gain by being part of a Youth Work Ireland LGBTQI+ group.
Connect with one of our Member’s to find an LGBTQI+ group near you.
European Proud Spaces Project
Bí Tusa: Be Bold, Be Proud, Be You
Youth Work Ireland are thrilled to launch a new resource to support and promote the understanding of issues facing young LGBTI+ people in Ireland today.
The Bí Tusa resource will build on the brilliant work already taking place in Youth Work Ireland LGBTI+ & Ally groups around the country. This resource will support professionals, communities and parents to become more educated on the issues facing young LGBTI+ people so we can all play our part in being advocates for young LGBTI+ people.
This resource is building on the large body of work done in Youth Work Ireland services to support young LGBTI+ in their personal journeys, and also to increase the visibility and acceptance of all young people.
Young and Trans Resource Launched
Youth Work Ireland has produced two resources to raise awareness of trans issues and how society and those working with young trans people, can better support this group. In recent years Ireland has become a more inclusive society with the passing of equality-based referenda and legislation, however young trans people, particularly those living in rural areas continue to face high levels of transphobic bullying, social anxiety, discrimination and isolation.
Youth Work Ireland is now responding to this need by facilitating youth work with trans young people and developing resources to promote this as a normal mainstream part of youth work throughout Ireland. We were delighted to work with our friends in TENI in producing these publications.
