Cara-Friend was established in 1974 as a voluntary counselling, befriending, information, and social space organisation for the LGBT community. Since then, we have established as one of the most encompassing organisations in Northern Ireland, encompassing LGBT men, women, and also the youth. We participate in as many community activities as we can possibly have time for, as well as lobbying on behalf of the LGBT community with government and other organisations, both as ourselves, and also as a member of the CoSO (Coalition on Sexual Orientation) organisation.
In a more personal way, Cara-Friend provides information on the social facilities available in Northern Ireland and is able to help people integrate into the gay community, if they so wish. We realise that there is a wide assortment of people out there, we don't brand you as one thing or another. There are many reasons why someone might contact us, but whatever the reason, our volunteers are trained to be receptive and understanding and will offer friendship and support to anyone concerned about sexuality, including parents of gay and lesbian children. We offer social support in helping people come to terms with their sexuality - including information on health issues, coming out, the gay community and scene, what you can do to help if you are interested. An additional part of our work is to educate and inform the public, and we are pleased to provide speakers at meetings of other organisations.
If you think we can help you, your family, your organisation, or anything else, we welcome you to contact us!
All of the services we provide are completely confidential.
We consist of 3 subsidiary groups, known as Gay Helpline, Lesbian Line, and GLYNI. We are also involved in two projects, Family Ties Project and What's In Your Closet?. These organisations and projects cater for the different demographics within the community; men, women, young people, parents, and those coming out. You can find out more about each of these organisations using the links above.
