23-31 Waring Street, Belfast
(028) 9089 0202
Supporting LGBTQI+ People in Northern Ireland
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About Cara Friend Supporting and Empowering the LGBTQI+ Community

ABOUT CARA-FRIEND

Cara-Friend has been serving and empowering the LGBTQIA+ community in Northern Ireland since 1974. We provide

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Business Charter

LGBTQIA+ Youth Services

Trans Specific Youth Services

Advocacy, Campaigning, Policy and Volunteering

Family Support

LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Schools’ Charter & Education Services

LGBTQIA+ Switchboard / Helpline

LGBTQIA+ Community Development Services & Events

LGBTQIA+ Mental Health & Wellbeing Project

All of the services we provide are completely confidential.

If you think we can help you, your family, your organisation, or anyone else, please do contact us!

MEET THE TEAM

Our team works towards a better Northern Ireland for LGBTQI+ people, which celebrates diversity and inclusion.

STAFF TEAM

Steve Williamson
Chief Executive Officer

steve@cara-friend.org.uk

Adam Murray
Community Development Manager

adam@cara-friend.org.uk

Lee Cullen
Head of Youth Services

lee.cullen@cara-friend.org.uk

Joanne McParland
Education & Training Manager

joanne.mcparland@cara-friend.org.uk

Seren McKeever
Admin & Finance Officer

seren.mckeever@cara-friend.org.uk

Djinn Gallagher
Mental Health & Wellbeing Officer

djinn.gallagher@cara-friend.org.uk

Ryan Johnston
Youth Projects Officer

ryan.johnston@cara-friend.org.uk

Amelia Clarke
Trans, Non-binary and Gender Diverse Youth Officer

amelia.clarke@cara-friend.org.uk  

Maria Ghianni-Wilkinson
Youth Network Coordinator

Maria.Ghianni-Wilkinson@cara-friend.org.uk

Gemma Kelly
Education & Training Officer

gemma.kelly@cara-friend.org.uk

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Matt Leebody
Chair of the Board

matt@cara-friend.org.uk

Niall Gillespie
Treasurer

niall.gillespie@cara-friend.org.uk

Colin Flinn
Secretary

colin.flinn@cara-friend.org.uk

Sonya McMullan
Director

sonya.mcmullan@cara-friend.org.uk

If you are distressed or require help and support out-of-hours, please contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Lines open 24/7

WORK FOR CARA-FRIEND

There are no current job vacancies at this time…..
However, we periodically have vacancies for volunteering positions.

Cara-Friend is a Registered Charity (No. 106210)
Belfast LGBTQI+ Centre, 23-31 Waring Street, Belfast, BT1 2DX
t:   (028) 9089 0202    e:   admin@cara-friend.org.uk
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Steve Williamson

Steve joined Cara-Friend as Director in 2007, and he has overseen the growth of the organisation from a small local community association to a professional charitable company, leading the way in LGBTQI+ service provision across N. Ireland. Steve is also a former Chair of Black Mountain Zen Buddhist Centre and a Fellow of The Royal Society for Arts, Manufacture and Commerce. Steve is involved in cross-community work with working-class youth in interface areas; and in his spare time he pursues a lifelong passion for martial arts, travel and meditation.
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Adam Murray

I’m the Community Development Manager with Cara-Friend. My role within Cara-Friend is a diverse one, a mixture of team management, community events, communications, office management, and advocating on behalf of the community.

Outside of work I enjoy socialising, music, and activism

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Lee Cullen

My name is Lee, I’m the Head of Youth Services in Cara-Friend. My job is to develop and lead the organisation’s youth service provision across Northern Ireland, and to support our Youth Team. In my spare time I like to read, play too many video games and get involved with outdoor pursuits. 
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Joanne McParland

I am the Education and Training Manager at Cara-Friend. I am responsible for the coordination and delivery of training to students and staff in Education, as well as assisting schools to achieve our LGBTQI+ Inclusive Schools’ Charter. I also facilitate training to businesses in Northern Ireland and enable them to achieve our LGBTQI+ Inclusive Corporate Charter.

I am a keen Ukulele player and am a member of the Belfast Ukulele Jam. I like to keep fit by walking my dog Juno, she is a 4-year-old Border Collie.

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Seren McKeever

I’m the administration and finance officer for Cara Friend. My main responsibilities are filing all financial documentation, organising the office, and answering any administrative queries people have.
I’m passionate about LGBTQ+ literature and spend a lot of time outside of work reading and writing!
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Niall Crossey

Djinn Gallagher, My name is Djinn and I’m leading the new Mindfulness and Mental Health Project at Cara-Friend. I’ve been studying mindfulness for nearly 30 years and spent a decade in a monastery in California learning how to calm down and be present. I have a firm faith in everyone’s ability to take care of themselves in this way and have been helping people figure this out.
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Ryan Johnston

Ryan Johnston, I am the Youth Project’s Officer for Cara-Friend. I work to create LGBTQ+ literature regionally across Northern Ireland to promote inclusion for the community.

I love roadtripping and exploring the coast of the island and will never turn down the opportunity to try something new!

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Amelia Clarke

Amelia Clarke, I am the Trans, Non-binary, Gender Diverse Youth Officer for Cara-Friend. My main responsibilities within the organisation are running the Trans specific youth group, Infinityouth, in Belfast for trans and gender non-conforming young people aged 12-25In my free time I like to create art using different mediums such as paint, body art and ceramics.
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Maria Ghianni-Wilkinson

Maria Ghianni-Wilkinson, I am a Youth Network Co-Ordinator for Cara-Friend. I’m in charge of running regional youth groups around the south eastern area of Northern Ireland, and my focus is on creating safe spaces for LGBTQI+ young people.I love animals; I have two cats and one dog. My partner and I enjoy bingeing tv shows on Netflix and spending time with friends.
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Gemma Kelly

Gemma Kelly, I am the Education and Training Officer at Cara-Friend. My main responsibilities include delivering training to staff and students in Education settings, as well as assisting schools to achieve our LGBTQI+ Inclusive Schools’ Charter. I also assist with facilitating training to businesses in Northern Ireland and enable them to achieve our LGBTQI+ Inclusive Corporate Charter.
I enjoy spending time with my Fiancé, family, friends and most importantly my dog, Benji. I also love volunteering for charities and fundraising to make a difference.

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Matt Leebody

Matt has volunteered within the LGBTQI+ community for about 10 years, originally joining Cara-Friend as a one of the LGBTQI+ Youth before standing for the Committee, on which he has served since. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors.

Matt has always been passionate about getting as involved as he can be, whether that’s in general everyday management, new projects, recruitment, outreach and communications. He believes it is important that Cara-Friend continues to grow and make sure people know about our great services, fantastic staff and awesome volunteers.

He is a black belt karate practitioner with Irish Intervarsity medals to his name, and a fluent coder of programming and web languages. Matt enjoys creative multimedia, graphic design as well as being an amateur photographer.

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Niall Crossey

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Colin Flinn

Colin Flinn, a retired solicitor and a volunteer with LGB&T Switchboard NI, and a volunteer with Queerspace Collective; he was formerly Hon Secretary of Cara-Friend, Facilitator of its Gay Helpline, Co-Chair of Belfast Out Resource Centre, Acting Secretary of L+ (for older LGB&T people), past Chair of the LGB&T Independent Advisory group to PSNI and a member of the LGB&T Reference Group to the Policing Board. He has been for some years the Hon Secretary of Out&About Walking Group.

His interest in the LGB&T sector is driven by his desire to advance the equal rights of LGB&T people, and to assure dignity and respect for all citizens here. He recognises the need to outreach to all sectors of society to break down prejudices through dissemination of information, engagement and dialogue.

He was one of 10 people whom the Equality Commission for N Ireland profiled in its publication “Real People”, Real Change” to mark 10 years since its formation. He is a member of the Equality Forum of Belfast City Council, and previously on Community Safety committees at the Council.

He is a board member of Community Change and Shopmobility Belfast, a member of the AgeNI’s Consultative Forum, and an Information Ambassador and Peer Facilitator with AgeNI. He is also a volunteer with NICRAS (NI Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers).

His other interests are biography, film, early music, local history, conservation, international and national current affairs, politics, mountaineering, photography, and cultural and faith diversity.

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Sonya McMullan

Sonya manages the 24 Hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline in Northern Ireland which is managed by Women’s Aid Federation. She has been with Women’s Aid for 15 years and her experience includes training, support, supervision, management, whilst also being responsible for the operational and strategic management and governance of their helpline.

Sonya joined Cara-Friend’s Board of Directors last year. She is very busy in her line of work, developing accredited training programmes and training materials for Women’s Aid Helpline. She knows the importance of helplines and the support that they provide. Sonya is a very dedicated member of the Board and always commits to aiding the growth of our own LGBTQI+ Switchboard.

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