We’re governed by our excellent Board of Trustees who are all volunteers for London Friend.
The Board of Trustees have ultimate responsibility for London Friend's activities, vision and performance and sets the strategic direction of the charity. Trustees also contribute their knowledge, the wealth of expertise and insights to the many complex issues the organisation faces and play a vital role in the decision making, guidance and advice of our charity's work. They meet regularly to discuss our governance and operations.
Meet our Trustees who share insights into what their roles entail, what makes them proud of supporting the work of the UK's oldest LGBTQ+ charity and give a piece of advice to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee.
MUBEEN AHMED, CHAIR (he/him)
Job title and employer
Senior People Leader, GOSH Charity
What is the change you’d love to see in our community?
I’d love to see our community rediscover the power of solidarity. LGBT+ people have always been strongest when we stand together, especially when parts of our community are under pressure. For me, that means the LGBT+ community being much more visible, vocal and active in standing alongside trans people.
We have so much collective influence, experience and resilience between us. I want to see us use it with confidence: not just to defend progress, but to create a community where everyone feels that they belong, that they are worth fighting for, and that none of us gets left behind.
What makes you proud of being a Trustee for London Friend?
London Friend is one of those organisations where you can genuinely see the difference it makes in people’s lives. Every day, the team creates spaces where LGBT+ people can find support, connection, friendship and somewhere to feel a little more like themselves.
What makes me proud is knowing that, as Trustees, we can help protect and strengthen that work. We have the privilege of looking ahead, asking difficult questions, bringing challenge and perspective, and making sure London Friend remains ambitious for the community it serves.
There is something very special about supporting an organisation with more than 50 years of history while helping shape what its next chapter can become.
What is your role as a Trustee?
As Chair, I see my role as helping the Board be as useful to London Friend as it possibly can be. That means creating the conditions for Trustees to bring their experience, judgement and different perspectives into the room, while keeping us focused on strategy, impact and good governance. It also means making sure we are asking the right questions: not simply “are we doing things properly?” but “are we making the difference we want to make, and are we being brave enough about what comes next?”
A good Board should provide challenge, support and confidence in equal measure. My job is to help us do that collectively, while making sure the CEO and team have a Board behind them that adds real value rather than simply observing from the sidelines.
What would you say to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee?
Do not wait until you feel completely ready. Most people never do. Trusteeship is not about having every answer or fitting a particular mould. It is about caring enough to show up, being willing to listen and challenge, and bringing the experience, perspective and curiosity you already have.
Our communities need Boards that reflect more of the people they exist to serve. They need different voices, different backgrounds and people prepared to ask questions that might otherwise go unasked. If there is a cause that matters to you, give some of your energy to it. You may go in thinking about what you can contribute and discover very quickly just how much the experience gives back to you too.
And if a small voice in your head is telling you that you are not senior enough, polished enough or “trustee-shaped” enough, that is probably exactly the voice worth ignoring.
JOSHUA DE LUNA, VICE CHAIR (he/him)
Job title and employer
Working in the legal sector.
What is the change you’d love to see in our community?
Not a change but I would like to see our community be more committed in supporting one another, especially on social media platforms where transphobia, homophobia and biphobia have become more rampant. Our identity as members of the queer community is in of itself a protest, and at the end of the day, to enact change we have to be able to rely on each other.
What makes you proud of being a Trustee for London Friend?
One thing I am proud of is the diversity of our group, not just in terms of representation but also the immense amount of talent and expertise around the Board. Representation is just the first step in some of the work that we are spearheading at London Friend in terms of diversity and inclusion. It is also incredibly warming just to know how committed every single Trustee is for the bettering of London Friend.
What is your role as a Trustee?
As a Trustee, my role is to support the CEO Monty Moncrieff, the volunteers, and London Friend as a whole. So far I have been very vocal in terms of addressing issues around Equality and Diversity, updating our charity’s policies, and widening our efforts so that London Friend best serves the most marginalised in our community.
What would you say to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee?
Two things - Number one, really be open to listening to everyone - other trustees, volunteers, employees - as a first-time trustee, it has only helped me get better and enjoy the role even more. Number two, be prepared for some late nights.
ALISTAIR CHARLES WILKINSON (he/him)
Job title and employer
Creative Director | Cultural Strategist | Football x Art Innovator
What is the change you’d love to see in our community?
I want to see LGBTQ+ people not simply surviving policies, systems, and media cycles that make their lives smaller – but shaping culture, health, and community on their own terms. For me, the political work now is about safeguarding queer joy, preserving the spaces that hold this when the state doesn’t, and pushing back against the rising hostility toward trans people, those affected by chemsex, and LGBTQ+ migrants. I want to see stronger, braver collaboration across sectors – health, arts, sport, grassroots groups – so the most marginalised in the community aren’t expected to navigate crisis alone.
What makes you proud of being a Trustee for London Friend?
London Friend has always been quietly radical: a volunteer-powered organisation offering culturally competent care long before “creative health”, “community wellbeing” or “harm reduction” became buzzwords. Antidote’s work around chemsex literally saves lives, and the counselling, peer support, and sober social groups hold space where mainstream services fall short. Being part of an organisation with five decades of LGBTQ+ resistance, care, and infrastructure behind it feels like joining a lineage – and I’m proud to help carry that work forward at a moment when it’s needed more than ever.
What is your role as a Trustee?
My role is to support London Friend’s strategic direction with insight from my work in community health, co-creation, and lived-experience-led practice. I bring a grounding in safeguarding, consent-based processes, and creative interventions around chemsex and addiction, amongst other things. I’m committed to strengthening the organisation’s resilience, expanding cross-sector partnerships, and ensuring our services remain accessible, intersectional, and politically alert to the pressures facing LGBTQ+ Londoners today.
What would you say to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee?
Community care is political – and everyone has something to offer it. You don’t need to come with polished expertise; you just need a commitment to listening, to learning, and to showing up for people who may not have anyone else in their corner. Becoming a trustee is a way to turn your values into real-world support for LGBTQ+ people across London – and to help build the future this community deserves.
THOM WILL (he/him)
Job title and employer
Head of Communications, Scripted at Sky
What is the change you’d love to see in our community?
I’d love to see a continued shift towards more open, honest conversations around mental health and wellbeing, addiction and recovery within LGBTQ+ communities, free from shame or stigma. There’s still a tendency for people to struggle in silence, and I think organisations like London Friend play a vital role in creating spaces where people can be supported with empathy, care and understanding.
What makes you proud of being a Trustee for London Friend?
London Friend has been supporting the LGBTQ+ community in London for over 50 years, with real and lasting impact. The depth of care, expertise and commitment across the team and volunteers is incredibly impressive across all of the organisation’s services, including world-class programmes like Antidote. I’m proud to play a small part in helping to ensure the charity can continue that work for many years to come.
What is your role as a Trustee?
As a Trustee, my role is to support the organisation’s long-term direction, governance and sustainability. I bring experience from senior comms roles in the media industry, particularly in communication strategy and navigating complex or sensitive issues. I try to add perspective and ask the right questions where helpful, while respecting the boundary between governance and delivery. Ultimately, it’s about supporting our CEO and team, and helping London Friend continue to deliver its services in a sustainable and impactful way.
What would you say to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee?
If you care about a cause and want to contribute in a meaningful, long-term way, trusteeship is a really rewarding way to do that. I came to this having spent my entire career in television rather than the charity sector. What I’ve found matters most is your judgement, your willingness to listen, and your commitment to the organisation’s purpose. It’s a chance to support important work, learn from others, and play a small part in helping organisations like London Friend continue to thrive.
RACHEL CROSHAW (she/her)
Job title and employer
Head of Communications and Engagement, London Landmarks Half Marathon
What is the change you’d love to see in our community?
Not necessarily a change in the community but I’d love to see us safeguarding the community that already exists and ensuring it continues to be a safe space for LGBT+ people.
What makes you proud of being a Trustee for London Friend?
I’ve personally benefitted from London Friend’s services so I am incredibly proud to be able to give back to an organisation that has benefited me and in turn support other people in the LGBT+ community and their well-being.
What is your role as a Trustee?
As a trustee, my role is to bring my experience and skills to help shape and deliver London Friend’s strategy. Having worked in charity fundraising for over 15 years, I am excited to support the team to develop their fundraising capabilities to ensure we have a diverse and sustainable fundraising portfolio.
What would you say to anybody interested in becoming a Trustee?
I would encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a trustee to explore this opportunity. You don’t need to have a background in the charity sector to be able to provide a valuable contribution to the strategic direct of a not-for-profit organisation. In fact sometimes, it’s better if you don’t as we need people from all sectors to enable us to have a diverse representation of skills on our Board and once you are a Trustee it can be an incredibly rewarding role.