BreakOut

Follow BreakOut on social media!   @BreakOutDonegal   @breakout_dys

BreakOut is a youth project focused on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender young people aged between 12 and 24 years. The project operates a weekly drop-in provision in Letterkenny and Raphoe, as well as training, information and one to one support. BreakOut is a project for young LGBTI people, LGBTI Allies and young people that believe in social justice

The aim of BreakOut is to ‘work for an Ireland where LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) young people are empowered to embrace their development and growth confidently and to participate as agents of positive social change in their own environment’.

 

BreakOut Letterkenny

• Ages 12-18 from 2-4pm on Saturdays
• Ages 18-24 | 4-6pm on Saturdays

BreakOut Raphoe

• 4-6pm on Thursdays

To enable this to happen BreakOut provides safe, appropriate and fun youth work services to LBGTI young people in Donegal which:

• Facilitate them through exploration, development and growth.
• Enable them to access all their rights as equal citizens.
• 

  BreakOut at Inish Advenure, Moville, Summer 2022

  Empowers them to participate as agents in positive social change.

Through our countrywide youth service we work to promote services to LGBTI young people throughout Donegal.

Issues continuing to affect LGBTI Young people which are dealt with in the project are:

• Being bullied and victimized, particularly in school and their local communities.
• Lack of peer support and fear of communicating this to family members.
• Marginalization in school and local communities.
• Education: lack of inclusion of LGBT sexuality in existing school programmes.
• Mental Health issues, including depression and eating disorders.
• Suicidal ideation and vulnerability to self-harming.
• Poor self-image as a consequence of negative societal attitudes to their sexual identity.
• Drug and alcohol misuse, often as a coping mechanism for dealing with victimization and marginalisation.
• Internalized homophobia – due to their experiences of homophobia

BreakOut operates with a countrywide steering group consisting of personnel from the HSE, Gardai, Youth Reach, Donegal Youth Service, Donegal Youth Council, Letterkenny Youth and Family Service, ETB Youth Officer, Inishowen Development Partnership, Pobail Le Cheile, Family Resource Centres and BeLonGTo. The project has been in operation since April 2009 and has 2 dedicated youth workers facilitating the groups.

For more information you can contact us on (074) 91 29630, on social media or email at breakout@donegalyouthservice.ie.

Funded by:

 

 

BreakOut is funded by HSE, BelongTo, Healthy Ireland and the Department of Children & Youth Affairs.