Happy 50th birthday to us!
Since 1972, LGBTQ people have been coming together as London Friend to support the health and wellbeing of others within our communities. Most of these were (and still are today) dedicated volunteers, whose actions continue to provide help that is missing from mainstream services, and we’re incredibly proud to be celebrating a phenomenal 50 years of London Friend in 2022.
50 LGBTQ Londoners
For the next 50 weeks we will celebrate 50 LGBTQ Londoners who have made a difference, through London Friend or in our wider vibrant LGBTQ communities. Follow #50LGBTQLondoners for our weekly update.
Celebrating our history and impact
Later this summer we will publish a history of London Friend – the oldest LGBTQ charity in the UK – told by our volunteers and through our archives. This will explore the impact of our work which remains at the heart of LGBTQ mental health support in London today.
Events and activities
Throughout the year we’ll host regular events and activities to mark our milestone 50th birthday. Our first is on 19th January with our friends Queers Without Beers, promoting mindful drinking within LGBTQ communities. Find out more and sign up here.
50 years of shared experience, stories and friendship: we’d love to hear from you
We’d love to hear your stories of London Friend. Are you a previous volunteer? Have you been supported by our groundbreaking Antidote service? Did you come out thanks to one of our groups?
Or you may be keeping precious memorabilia like press cuttings, photos, campaign materials or letters related to our shared LGBTQ+ capital's history that you'd love to see featured on our timeline?
Join in with #LondonFriend50 or submit your story here.
Volunteer with us
We wouldn't be here today without our volunteers! Volunteering remains key to everything London Friend does, and our volunteers' help is invaluable for us to support as many people as we do.
Look out for volunteering opportunities to get involved in our 50th birthday celebrations and beyond!
Follow us for all our 50th birthday updates
Click on the links below to follow us on social media and sign up to our newsletter here to make sure you don’t miss a moment of our celebrations.
Thanks to National Lottery players
