UPDATED 30/05/2022
London Friend is currently running a mix of in-person and online services.
We have installed a new ventilation system in our building. You can find the latest NHS information about Covid-19 here. Our Covid safety guidance can be found here. Please do not come to London Friend in-person if you are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19.
Monkeypox update
The UK has seen a small number of cases of Monkeypox, including cases in gay and bisexual men. Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection, but transmission can occur through close contact with other people, including during sex. You can read more about Monkeypox here from Terrence Higgins Trust.
If you have any recent unexpected/unusual spots, ulcers or blisters; a fever; or a new lump or lumps in the neck, groin or under your arm you should not come to London Friend in-person. Please contact your local sexual health clinic by phone
Contacting the service
The information on this page will answer many of your questions about our available services. Please email for more information, or to make a referral:
- For general enquiries – office@londonfriend.org.uk
- For the counselling service – counselling@londonfriend.org.uk
- For our drug and alcohol service – antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
- Contact details for specific groups and referrals are listed below
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Mental Health and Counselling
We have published information to help manage your mental health and wellbeing: you can find this here.
To self-refer for our counselling service, please email counselling@londonfriend.org.uk. Counselling is currently being provided both inline and in-person
Our specialist domestic abuse counselling service is open for referrals. You can self-refer via Galop, the lead partner in the London LGBT Domestic Abuse Partnership here.
Out partners HERO provide online mental health forums for LGBT people. The forums were developed as part of a partnership with London Friend and ELOP. You can access the forums here.
Antidote Drug and Alcohol Service
Our Antidote service remains open providing support online, in-person and via email. To make a new referral to the service please email antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
Our Antidote drop-ins are running in-person on Mondays from 11am - 1 pm and online on Thursdays from 6 - 8pm. You can access peer support and short one-to-one sessions.
Our Monday session operates a walk-in service at 86 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DN. Our Thursday session operates online. Existing clients can request the online link by email; new clients will need to complete an assessment before accessing online sessions. Assessments can be done in-person on Mondays, or by appointment online. Please email antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
ChemCheck is a 6 week group programme helping you to address issues with chems use. Find out more here. Email to register: antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
Our Sunday Session is a workshop series aimed at supporting gay and bi men who are maintaining their goals to move on from problematic chemsex use. Email to register: antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
Real Chemistry is a series of self-guided workshops for gay and bisexual men moving on from problems with chemsex. You can access this information here.
AXIS Clinic is a chemsex and sexual health clinic based at the Caldecot Centre in Camberwell. It's a partnership between Antidote and two NHS services: Kings College, and South London & the Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Trusts. It offers a holistic approach to chems, sexual health and mental health. At present we're offering referrals for online chems support. If you're a patient at the Caldecot Centre or the Camberwell Sexual Health Centre ask your worker to refer you: Wednesdays 4 - 7pm.
To support yourself at home, we have created an Antidote Home Care page with some resources to help you make changes from home, support yourself at difficult times, and links to our drug & alcohol harm reduction information.
Support and Social Groups
Please see the calendar on our home page for group timings; information about the groups is below. Please note that we may have to cancel groups at short notice if our facilitators test positive on the day. We will update on our Twitter if this happens.
Coming Out - you can see two videos recorded by our Turning Point group volunteers talking about coming out and read more information on our coming out page.
LGBTQ+ Friday Drop-In, is a safe, friendly space open to all LGBTQ+ people with free refreshments. It is running in-person.
Every Friday 11am-1pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Changes, our group for lesbian and bisexual women, is running both online and in-person.
Every 2nd Monday, 7-9pm - Zoom
Every 4th Monday, 7-9pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Email changes@londonfriend.org.uk to sign up for the online sessions, no sign up necessary for the in-person events.
Turning Point, our coming out group for gay and bisexual men, is running both online and in-person.
Every 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7-9:30pm - Zoom
2nd & 4th Wednesday, 7-9:30pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Email turningpoint@londonfriend.org.uk to sign up for the online sessions, no sign up necessary for the in-person events!
Mattrix is our social group for gay and bisexual men. The group is running both online and in-person!
1st & 3rd Thursday, 7-9pm - 86 Caledonian Road
2nd & 4th Thursday, 7-9pm - Zoom
Email mattrix@londonfriend.org.uk to sign up for the online sessions, no sign up necessary for the in-person events
CrafterZoom - our regular crafternoon group for LBT women will run online on the second Saturday of each month from 1 - 2.30pm. Please email Clare in advance to register and get the link clare@londonfriend.org.uk
T on Tuesday is our group for trans and non-binary people. It is running both online and in person!
1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesday, 8-10pm - Zoom
2nd & 4th Tuesday, 7-9pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Please email tontuesday@londonfriend.org.uk to sign up for the online sessions, no sign up necessary for the in-person events.
Pink Ink, is a creative writing group open to all LGBTQ+ people. It is running in-person.
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month 7-9pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Conversational English Classes, are our weekly English classes designed for anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ who wants to improve their spoken English. All levels working. These are running again in-person.
Every Wednesday 11am-1pm - 86 Caledonian Road
Groups and meetings run by other LGBTQ+ organisations which we host at London Friend are mostly suspended - please contact your group's organiser for any updates from them.
Domestic Abuse
There are many report of an increase in domestic abuse since the lockdown started. London Friend is a member of the London LGBT Domestic Abuse Partnership, a multi-agency service offering different kinds of support. London Friend provides specialist counselling and workshops as part of this.
Our partner Galop, the LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity, has produced new resources for LGBTQ+ people who have experienced domestic abuse, and for the professionals supporting them. You can access these here.
Contacting the service
- For general enquiries – office@londonfriend.org.uk
- For the counselling service – counselling@londonfriend.org.uk
- For our drug and alcohol service – antidote@londonfriend.org.uk
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Other support services
Switchboard – the LGBT+ Helpline
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline
The Outside Project's LGBTQ mutual aid Facebook group
Narcotics Anonymous online meetings
