Belong To LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland, Dublin

Belong To, the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation, started off as a youth project and has since grown into a unique national services and advocacy organisation for LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Founded in 2003, Belong To exists to create and generate safe spaces and places for LGBTQ+ young people and to empower others through education to support LGBTQ+ young people. It is also leading policy and practice by providing expertise, developing best practice models, and reflecting lived experiences. They want to ensure LGBTQ+ young people have their voices heard and will advocate for LGBTQ+ young people and champion change.

National Lottery Good Causes funding helped the organisation to deliver their LGBTQ+ Quality Mark programme in schools across Ireland. The 18-month programme helps post primary schools to implement evidence-based interventions to support LGBTQ+ inclusion for students. It is a ground-breaking whole-school initiative fostering inclusivity.

The programme encourages schools to move away from individualised supports for LGBTQ+ students, and instead to take a whole-school community approach. Schools are supported to meet the requirements and goals of the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark initiative, which provides a comprehensive approach to developing an LGBTQ+ safe and supportive school. This ensures that students, their families, and staff who are members of schools that have been accredited with the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark initiative can have confidence that their environment is one where LGBTQ+ young people are welcome, valued and supported.

The judges for the National Lottery Good Causes Awards were deeply impressed by Belong To’s LGBTQ+ Quality Mark, as well as its innovative approach and strong partnerships with secondary education. Its work creating a wide-reaching, positive impact across secondary schools in Ireland is worthy to be named our 2024 Youth category winner.