Rainbow Project To be disbanded?

Annasopra

It's the Rainbow's end, fear gay campaigners
End of funding puts city project at risk

By Brendan McDaid

28 April 2005
A leading gay rights organisation looks set to close within weeks after running out of funding, it can be revealed today.

The shock announcement by the Rainbow Project - founded in Londonderry 11 years ago - comes after funding for the project completely dried up three weeks ago.

For the past three weeks the centre has been running on private donations.

Founder of the project Sean Morrin and manager David McCartney revealed the situation after gathering Derry's gay community for a question and answer session with Foyle Westminster candidates.

Socialist Environmental Alliance candidate Eamon McCann, Mayor Gearoid O'hEara, (representing Mitchel McLaughlin), Mark Durkan and SDLP council candidate Colm Eastwood faced a grilling over their parties' stance on gay rights issues at the City Hotel.

Announcing the imminent threat, Mr McCartney said the organisation was hoping that the Western Health Board could provide funding.

He said: "We have been in contact with a number of funding bodies and we are getting comments that are not giving us a great deal of hope.

"We are now less than a month away from closure."

Mr Morrin added: "This is a crisis situation now that will have major implications for sexual and mental health services outside of Belfast.

"Research that we have conducted shows that gay and bisexual young people in Northern Ireland aged between 16 and 25 are five times more likely to be medicated for depression.

"In the same age group, 29% have also attempted suicide."

The Rainbow Project was established in 1994 by a group of volunteers concerned about the spread of HIV within the gay male population of Northern Ireland.

The group had been funded by a combination of Government sources, the Elton John Aids Foundation, private donations and fundraising.

The project provides education and training to the gay community, as well as voluntary and statutory agencies across Northern Ireland.

Staff have also undertaken joint protocol projects with the PSNI and other bodies.

Last year the group successfully lobbied for the extension of the Civil Rights Partnership Bill to Northern Ireland.

Foyle candidates said they were taken aback by the threat now facing the Rainbow Project.

Sinn Fein's Gearoid O'hEara said: "I didn't realise the Rainbow Project was that strapped.

"This is a very important service for the gay community and I am happy to convene a meeting with the Western Health Board and bring in some politicians at the Mayor's Office."

Eamon McCann and Colm Eastwood have also pledged to campaign to keep the project open.

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