On December 1 2021, we opened our doors for the first time and welcomed people to our space in Bankside.
Since then, we’ve been absolutely blown away by how the community has made the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre their home.
We have seen – and continue to see – the huge impact the Centre has had on LGBTQ+ people in London.
And it’s been a big first year for us!
Starting off as a pop-up for six months, we signed a lease with Southwark Council for the next five years.
Read on to find out what else has happened in 2022.
We’ve worked with more than 15 local LGBTQ+ charities and organisations, including:
- Metro
- Opening Doors
- London Friend
- House of Rainbow
- Do It London
- Not A Phase
- Black Thrive
- Stonewall Housing
- Elop
- Gendered Intelligence
More than 60 community groups have used the space, including:
- LGBTQ+ Narcotics Anonymous
- Dope Black Queers
- Gay Liberation Front
- London Gaymers
- Rebelle Voices
- GIN LGBTQ+ Indian Network
- The Queer Parenting Partnership
- Traveller LGBT Pride
- Muslim LGBT Network
- Pride in STEM
- All About Trans
- Wandsworth Carers Centre
And many more!
At the Centre, we’ve had:
- Over 13,600 people visiting
- More than 8,000 people participating in events
- Run over 500 events with facilitators across our community
- Released our first-ever report, highlighting the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in London’s queer scene
How to continue supporting the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre
According to our research, almost all LGBTQ+ people in London (94%) say there are too few LGBTQ+ spaces that aren’t centred around nightlife.
It’s essential that we stay open and accessible to all who need us, and we need your support to do that.
These are four ways you can support us:
1. Donate
Whether you can give a one-off donation or a recurring monthly gift, everything we raise enables us to keep our doors open and keep our events free. You can donate on our website.
We’re also planning a Christmas eve dinner for vulnerable folks in the community. You can donate to this fund here.
2. Spread the word
Share our posts and follow us on social media:
And make sure to share posts with your friends and family, too. Someone finding out about us for the first time could transform their life, so tell everyone!
3. Say hi!
Come to the Centre! Grab a coffee, read a book, host an event, make a new connection.
4. Review us on Google
If you love the Centre, leave us a Google review! The more people who find out about us and feel confident and comfortable coming to visit us or attend one of our events, the better!