Diversity Role Models is a UK charity dedicated to ending LGBTQIA+ bullying in schools by fostering empathy and respect through real human connection. Since 2011, they’ve reached more than 275,000 students in over 1,000 schools, creating spaces where young people feel safe to be themselves. The charity is now working to raise £100,000 to confront a crisis that too often goes unseen: the lasting harm of bullying and exclusion in schools.
Bullying is not just playground cruelty, it can leave a mark that can follow a person for decades. It chips away at confidence, alters life choices, and teaches young people to hide who they are. Those who endure it are more likely to struggle with mental health, leave school early, face unemployment, and carry a quieter sense of not belonging well into adulthood.
For LGBTQIA+ students, the risk is even greater. Nearly half experience bullying or discrimination at school for who they are – or who others think they might be. Too many keep silent, believing that telling someone will not make a difference. And this silence erodes trust not only in peers and teachers, but in the world beyond the school gates.
Since 2011, Diversity Role Models has been stepping into classrooms to change this story. Their workshops, delivered in person and online, bring real people with lived experience into direct conversation with students. These sessions invite understanding, break down prejudice, and plant seeds of courage and empathy. Over 275,000 young people in more than 1,000 UK schools have already taken part, and the majority leave more ready to speak up when they see bullying.
But this vital work is under threat. Government funding for anti-bullying programmes has ended. Corporate giving has declined. Many schools can no longer afford outside support. Without urgent donations, Diversity Role Models will have to cut back, just as the need for their presence is growing.
Only 18% of students believe an LGBTQ+ classmate would feel safe coming out at school, down sharply from last year. One in three children has experienced in-person bullying, and nearly half of secondary students say gay or perceived-to-be-gay pupils are bullied. Diversity Role Models’ workshops make 89% of students more confident to challenge bullying, so urgent donations are needed to keep this life-changing work alive.
If you’ve ever known the ache of being excluded or the fear of speaking your truth, you understand the stakes. A gift today will help keep these spaces of safety and understanding, so no young person has to choose between being themselves and being safe.
You can donate here.