NUI Galway students raise over €6,000 to end homophobia

Students from NUI Galway have raised over €6,000 in aid of BeLonG To Youth Services, Ireland’s national organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans young people. Over the last academic year (Sept 14’ - Jun 15’) the Students Union and multiple Student led Clubs & Societies ran fundraising events in aid of BeLonG To including a Sponsored Climb of Croagh Patrick with the NUIG Mountaineering Club.

Speaking last Thursday (June 25th) at the cheque presentation, Oisín O’ Reilly – Fundraising Manager with BeLonG To said “We’re delighted & extremely thankful with the efforts of the students to raise funds in aid of our work. We’ve invested just short of €40,000 in the last five years in the support service for LGBT Young People in Galway City, County and the wider Mid West Region. The funds raised by the NUI Galway students will help fund our work to bring about an end to homophobia.”

BeLonG To supports and funds a nationwide network of LGBT youth group embedded within mainstream youth work organisations. In Galway City the local LGBT youth group is called shOUT! LGBT Youth Project which is run by Youth Work Ireland Galway and was the first LGBT Youth Group outside Dublin accredited by BeLonG to in 2008. The group meets weekly on Friday’s & Saturdays providing a mix of one-to-one and peer based supports to LGBT young people in Galway.

[L -R] Margaret Tierney (Console), Declan Higgins (NUIG SU President), Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin (NUIG Welfare) Phelim Kelly (NUIG Education) & Oisín O’ Reilly (BeLonG To) Photo: Aengus McMahon

Photo by Aengus McMahon