The London LGBTQ+ Community Centre is at 60-62 Hopton Street, Thames Path, SE1 9JH.
It took 12 months to find a premises that is affordable and available; as the London economy recovers following the pandemic and multiple lockdowns, spaces in central London are at a premium and in short supply as business returns to the city. This exacerbates the challenges for a charitable endeavour that requires both a discreet and accessible location.
Transport and entry
60-62 Hopton Street is close to public transport links including Blackfriars National Rail Station which is next door and is wheelchair accessible. The Centre is accessible by wheelchair in both entrances, and the river-facing approach has a step-free option. The site itself is on one floor at ground level.
The Centre is close to other forms of public transport, including Waterloo, Southwark and London Bridge Stations local bus routes.
Use the Citymapper tool below to plan your route.
There are several disabled parking bays nearby. The closest is on Hopton Street at the street-side (not riverside) entrance to our Centre. This entrance has no steps to access it, and has a double entrance door.
More information about local parking can be found here on Southwark Council’s website.
Within the Centre
Our counter has a lower level for those in wheelchairs to access.
Unfortunately, we regret that the site does not have an accessible toilet. We have now secured a grant to rebuild our toilet so it’s accessible. We’ll share updates when this work has started and when it’s finished.
Neighbouring Blackfriars Station, Starbucks and the Founders Arms all have disabled access toilets available to our visitors. We provide an escorting service for our guests in wheelchairs to access these toilets – both of which are less than a two-minute journey away.
Neurodiversity
We are actively programming events, like our Aytypiqueers meetup, specifically for neurodiverse LGBTQ+ members of the community. Within the Centre, we have sensory toys and weighted blankets, as well as a quiet room that can be used as a reflective space.
Dogs
We are a dog-friendly venue, however, we ask that dogs aren’t brought along to our events and that dogs aren’t brought to the Centre during Quiet Time which is all day on Wednesdays. Only assistance dogs are welcome during events and Quiet Time. Thank you.
Events
We will provide BSL interpreters for in-person events for those who might need them. To ensure we’re able to provide this, we will request that anyone in need of an interpreter lets us know in advance of the event, by adding a note within the ticketing process.
We will live stream events across our social media channels where appropriate also, and information about this will be available during the event booking process.
Feedback
We will take feedback from the community using the space throughout the six months via formal surveys and informal dialogue to inform our ambitions to open a permanent LGBTQ+ Centre in the future and we will endeavour to make the space as accessible as possible.