Save the LGBT Helpline
The National LGBT Helpline was established in 2010 as the first national LGBT Helpline in Europe. The service was developed by the existing regional helplines to provide a national helpline number and dedicated website lgbt.ie, to enhance the support and information available for LGBT people and their family members across the country. It provides support to thousands of LGBT+ people every year across Ireland.
The LGBT Helpline is primarily a volunteer led service with a small national support unit with two paid staff members. Currently it runs local helplines Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Louth and Mayo, with 70+ LGBT+ volunteers.
I am a volunteer with the service in Galway, and have been involved since 2015. Being involved with the Helpline has been such a rewarding experience, and it was a great way to give back to my fellow LGBT+ community. I’ve learnt such great skills, and it’s allowed me directly help my community.
Burning Issues 2 highlighted that there is a lot more still left to be fought for within LGBT+ rights. 2015 brought us Marriage Equality and Gender Recognition, but these were just stepping stones. Rural isolation, mental health issues, the need for secular education, the 8th amendment, biphobia, transphobia and homophobia still affect our community. The LGBT Helpline helped offer supports and a listening ear to our community when it is in need, with the security that you were discussing with a peer who may have directly faced similar situations.
Structure and Funding of the Helpline
Initially funded through Community Foundation of Ireland, on-going funding came through POBAL and HSE (through NOSP).
The National LGBT Helpline was structured with its own independent management committee. GLEN Ltd acted as a fiscal agent, providing financial management and administration support to the service under instruction from the Helpline Management Committee.
This arrangement was necessitated by funders at the time the service was established.
In December 2016 the Helpline’s management committee began a process of establishing as a company limited by guarantee. This process involved negotiations with POBAL and LGBT Ireland Plc was incorporated on 2nd June 2017. The new company is currently registering for charitable status (this takes a few months due to the huge number of organisations applying).
LGBT Ireland has been established with the highest standards of governance in line with codes of good practice.
The recent sudden announcement that GLEN will wind up as a charity following allegations of poor governance and the resulting media coverage has led to a major funding crisis for the Helpline.
Our key funders- HSE (NOSP) and POBAL, are withholding funding for the service since February 2017. Proposals regarding the transfer of the service to a separate legal entity LGBT Ireland, were prepared and submitted to both funders in May however a decision on funding has not been made.
How to help
The Department of Housing (who oversee POBAL) are meeting to discuss our proposal again this Thursday, and will be seeing Ministerial approval
Please contact Minister Eoghan Murphy to alert him to the urgency of the situation for our organisation, and to seek his support.
Email: eoghan.murphy@oir.ie
Twitter: @MurphyEoghan
Please encourage your local political representatives to do the same. Who Is My TD is a great resource for finding the contact details for your representatives locally and nationally.
Please share this far and wide, to give us every chance of saving a much needed service.
UPDATE - 26/07/2017
LGBT Helpline National Coordinator Paula Fagan confirmed that the service has secured “bridging funding” from POBAL and so, will operate as normal.
“I can confirm that the LGBT Helpline has secured bridging funding from POBAL and our services will remain operating as normal as we work with them to finalise to transition the existing funding agreement to the new the entity established by the LGBT Helpline to run the service.”
