I joined the Cara-Friend team in September 2015. I am responsible for the management of the youth service within Cara-Friend, which aims to support LGB&T youth across Northern Ireland. I am a native of Milford, a small town in Donegal, so I understand the challenges of growing up as a young gay person in rural and small communities. I hope that will help me to help service users get the most from Cara-Friend LGB&T Youth. My day to day work involves overseeing the youth team in delivering the best LGB&T youth services possible, as well as advising schools and parents on issues around sexuality and gender orientation. I also meet on a one-to-one basis with young people who are having difficulty with their sexual and gender identity. With the help of funding from BBC Children in Need, I am also responsible for developing better mental health services and training specifically for LGB&T youth. As Deputy Director I represent Cara-Friend on the coalition of organisations that make up the campaign for civil marriage equality in Northern Ireland, Love Equality. I am a founder and director of ShoutOut, which is an anti-bullying programme for secondary schools across Ireland, aimed at tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. I love politics, theatre, cinema, food and the great outdoors!

Jo McParland is our Regional Development Youth Officer for Cara-Friend. She has been in post since October 2016. Jo has established and facilitates 5 regional groups in Armagh, Ballymena, Cookstown, Lisburn and Newry. These groups are places for young people to make new friends in a safe and friendly environment. Jo also conducts LGBTQ+ Awareness Training in School for staff and the Shout Out Workshop for students.
Jo hails from Armagh City, but now lives in Lisburn. In her spare time she enjoys keeping fit, by running, yoga and meditation, she has a passion for travelling and new adventures, and is a proud member of the Belfast Ukulele Jam.

I’m Colleen and I am a Youth Worker on the OUT North West programme. OUT North West is a project which is delivered by The Rainbow Project and Cara-Friend and funded by The Big Lottery. The project works with young LGBTQ+ people aged 14 – 25 and aims to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in the North West. We are based in the Foyle LGBT Centre in Derry and offer a range of different opportunities for young people to engage, access support, meet new people and have fun!

I have been volunteering and working in the Youth Work sector for over 10 years. Outside of work I’m a keen activist involved in local and regional campaigns. I love travelling, reading and crafting!