These included outdoor picnic and walking events in Ballincollig Regional Park, film events such as a movie night and a cinema trip, a team quiz night created and hosted by a group member, discussion groups, trips to local cafes, and a pumpkin-carving evening during the Halloween season. The PROP groups also marched in the Cork LGBT+ Pride Parade together and attended several events over the week of the festival. The PROP groups created space for people to link in with other LGBT+ people in their local community, get to know each other and form friendships. It is crucial to note that while the PROP is a joyful space for people to socialise and have fun, it is also a space for people to access vital care, support, and signposting to additional resources such as support groups, one-to- one support, and mental health services. Additionally, the PROP offered a confidential space for individuals to access peer-to-peer support and have conversations about their gender, sexuality, and identity with others who share their experiences.
This is an opportunity that many people have not had before and the importance of providing a place for people to speak openly, listen to other people’s stories and feel safe cannot be underestimated. The PROP groups in Ballincollig and Glanmire now run with the help of volunteers who organise regular meetups. There are also local LGBT+ Whatsapp groups to help people stay in touch with the community in their area. The PROP was recently part of the Tesco Community Fund in several stores throughout Cork. We hope that new groups will be established in new locations in Cork later this year so make sure to keep an eye on Cork Pride’s social media, as the PROP might be coming to your local area!
By Dee Finn The Pride Reaching Out Project was a six-month pilot project, facilitated by Cork LGBT+ Pride. During this
time we established new community groups outside of Cork City Centre. The main aim of the project was to create new LGBT+ networks and communities in areas where there previously had been none before. Whilst Ireland has thriving LGBT+ communities in its main cities, it can be much more of a challenge for LGBT+ people living in suburban or rural areas to access these communities. Loneliness and isolation continue to be very real problems in the LGBT+ community, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pride Reaching Out Project aimed to address this, by bringing supports and resources directly into communities. The project held meetups in the suburban and rural areas of Ballincollig, Blarney, and Glanmire. We provided a range of different activities in each location, including discussion groups in Blarney and social cafe meetups in Glanmire. In Ballincollig, the meetups were group-led, meaning we took suggestions from the groups about what activities to hold via surveys and polls.
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