LGBTQ youth group cuts would be disastrous, says Cara Friend group

The organisation Cara Friend receives funding for more than 20 LGBTQ youth groups

A number of LGBTQ youth groups face closure due to "disastrous" cuts to Education Authority (EA) funding for youth services.

The warning comes from the LGBTQ organisation Cara Friend, which runs more than 20 groups and other services.

In a letter to the EA, Cara Friend described the cuts as a monumental step backwards that represent a "disastrous future".

The EA said it fully understood the vital role of youth services.

Youth leaders recently warned that "the wider community would suffer" if funding cuts to youth centres go ahead.

Some told BBC News NI they would have to cut staff as well as the number of nights they can open for young people.

The Education Authority recently published guidance documents on the "assessment of need" in each council area in Northern Ireland, which indicated many youth centres were set to get less funding than in 2022/23.

Those "assessment of need" documents also indicate that in some areas, LGBTQ young people face discrimination and prejudice.

"Many young people noted ongoing bullying and harassment," one said.

"Young people identifying as LGBTQ or those who have experienced adverse childhood experiences are also more likely to have poorer health outcomes than their peers."

Cara Friend has been in operation since the 1970s and provides a number of support and advice services for the LGBTQ community.

'Disastrous future'

It had received funding from the Education Authority to run more than 20 LGBTQ youth groups across Northern Ireland, deliver LGBTQ training for youth workers and offer one-to-one support sessions for young people.

Cara Friend also runs an LGBTQ-inclusive schools programme, which provides advice for teachers and anti-bullying workshops.

Many of those services were funded by the Education Authority until September 2022.

In a letter to the EA, which has been seen by BBC News NI, Cara Friend said it had been raising concerns over the continuation of the services with the EA since then.

"Unfortunately, it has become quite clear that it is no longer the intention of the Education Authority to fulfil their statutory obligations to fund specific support to LGBTQI+ young people in N. Ireland," the letter continued.

"This represents a disastrous future for LGBTQI+ young people and a monumental step backwards."

Cara Friend said that other "section 75" groups - including services for minorities and children with special educational needs - would also be affected by cuts to youth funding.

"Our entire regional youth work staff team is funded under LGBTQI+-specific funding from Education Authority NI," its letter continued.

"We have to regrettably move to close all regional services supporting LGBTQI+ young people and groups across N. Ireland.

"Our regional operations include the only dedicated LGBTQI+ awareness training for youth workers, the LGBTQI+ Regional Youth Service comprising 22 youth groups, one-to-one support sessions with LGBTQI+ young people currently experiencing suicide ideation and other mental health concerns."

Its letter also said it would have to give workers from its youth service notice that their contracts would be terminated in early 2023.

In the recent budget, the Department of Education was told it needed to make significant cuts to its current spending trajectory.

The EA also needs to find around £100m in savings from its block grant in 2022-23.

In a statement, the EA said it was firmly committed to promoting equality and inclusion.

It said it would continue to work with the Department of Education to minimise the risk to LGBTQ services "against the backdrop of very significant financial challenges".