Ireland - Community action programme - PEACEPLUS Re-Tender - LGBTQIA+ - PEACEPLUS Funded

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council seeks to appoint suitably qualified organisation(s) / individual(s) to develop opportunities to raise awareness within the LGBTQIA+ community of the support and services available within the Borough and to ensure that these support systems are viewed as being accessible. The programme will ensure that a platform is given to the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure that their voices can be articulated and heard. The project aims to support the education of the wider Borough about the valuable contribution the LGBTQIA+ community has made and continues to make within the Borough. The programme aims to support the entire community to understand each other with levels of compassion, understanding and recognising that change (in any setting) can be difficult. The tender response must address the following key issues: • Intolerance. • Lack of awareness. • Challenges and Obstacles faced by the LGBTQIA+ Community. • The history of the LGBTQIA+ Community. • The perception of who is part of the LGBTQIA+ Community. • Challenging the level of intolerance towards the LGBTQIA+ Community. • Encourage the wider community to learn for themselves, drawing their own conclusions and remembering that the wellbeing of all can be influenced by acting on some of our views. • Promoting and supporting visibility and inclusion. Targets • Recruit minimum 245 participants (CNR: 20%: PUL 20%: Other 60%) • Co-design a programme which tackles both isolation and vulnerability within the LGBTQIA+ community. • Deliver an exhibition which explores legacy of local LGBTQIA+ icons. • Deliver 7 public talks across the Borough to explore lived experiences. Counselling or other appropriate infrastructure support services also need to be available. • Delivery of a showcase event. • A minimum of 26 hours (total) of meaningful engagement must be provided per participant. Outputs • Increased levels of tolerance throughout and between the communities. • Increased levels of knowledge and information shared in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community. • Increased levels of awareness about the issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community. • Increase in confidence within the LGBTQIA+ community. • Opportunity to connect LGBTQIA+ members through a more localised network. Programme Activities • Stage 1: Recruit 245 participants to the programme (Approx 35 from each DEA area). • Stage 2: Co design a programme with the 245 participants which helps support both younger people and especially older people and young people from a rural background who need to access the support services of LGBTQIA community. The programme needs to tackle both isolation and vulnerability, whilst increasing visibility from the community. • Stage 3 An exhibition and talks which explores the opportunity to look the wide range of people in the legacy CCGBC area, who hailed from the LGBTQIA+ community who have contributed to our society (this could manifest in an exhibition or publication). • Stage 4: Deliver 7 Public Talks/discussions/Panels to explore the lived experience of local people in the area, as a way of increasing awareness, but encouraging the public to look at their practices, attitudes, how they could make improvements or support systems. This could provide an opportunity for the public to look at education, awareness raising and an event to consider the aspect of compassion as a key principle from which to operate from. This will require a tight structure, experience facilitators and support services (befriending and/ or counselling). • Stage 5: Delivery of a special event to showcase the LGBTQIA+ community and build relationships within the community. Additional guidance to be taken around the correct and planned delivery of PRIDE event that has been consulted on, planned for, and delivered in an atmosphere of acceptance (perhaps look at the Enniskillen example). BUDGET: 147998 EUROS Timeline: 18 months