The LGBT Helpline, which is the national support service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, will be running a volunteer recruitment campaign at this year's National Ploughing Championships.

The National Ploughing Championships take place in Ratheniska, Co Laois, from September 22-24. It is one of European's largest outdoor events. Last year, over 279,000 attendances were recorded.

The aim of this new campaign is to recruit people who identify as LGBT as volunteers for the orgaisation's support services nationwide.

"In the past, it has been particularly difficult to recruit LGBT volunteers from rural communities. However, the National Ploughing Championships offer the perfect opportunity for us to meet with LGBT people from rural backgrounds, and to tell them about our services.

"Our hope is that some of them will be interested in volunteering with us. The support services we provide are almost entirely dependent on the contribution of volunteers. Without them, our helplines simply could not operate," explained LGBT Helpline coordinator, Paula Fagan.

She emphaisised that as the Helpline is a national service, it is essential to have volunteers from across the country.

She pointed out that while the ‘yes' vote in the recent marriage equality referendum was strong in rural areas, LGBT people living in these areas can still face many challenges.

"One of the most positive aspects of the ‘yes' result in the referendum was that it was so evenly distributed throughout the country. It showed that LGBT rights are recognised and valued in communities throughout Ireland, and sent a very clear message that people nationwide were in favour of marriage equality.

"However, despite the huge amount of goodwill generated in the wake of the referendum, some people can still find it difficult to come out as LGBT, or they may feel they will face difficulties if they openly express their sexual identity, particularly in close-knit rural communities," Ms Fagan noted.

The LGBT Helpline currently has 60 volunteers from around the country and it is hoping to recruit 30 more at this week's event. It will have a stand in the Health and Wellness Tent, Dunamise and Nore, Block 1, Row 26, Stand Number 435.

"We will be running volunteering training in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Louth and Mayo in the coming months, so we are particularly interested in recruiting people from these areas," Ms Fagan added.

The LGBT Helpline was established in 2010 to provide information and support to LGBT people, their families and friends. If you would like to contact the Helpline, call 1890 929 539 during the following hours:
-Monday to Wednesday from 6.30pm to 9pm
-Thursday from 8pm to 10pm
-Friday from 4pm to 9pm
-Saturday and Sunday from 4pm to 6pm.

The Helpline also runs an online chat support service and runs specialist peer support groups. For more information, click here