Feb 2017

Our journey begins

We are LGBTIQ+ colleagues, friends & activists who work in London’s Homelessness Sector. We have lived experience of homelessness and the unique, complex issues our community face.

Having worked in high support hostels and daycentre services we recognised the disadvantage and gap in service provision for LGBTIQ+ people. We volunteered to launch the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ Crisis/Homeless Winter Shelter and Community Centre.

We received funding from London Frontline Outreach Worker Network to develop the project.

Pride 2017

Orignal fundraiser

We launched our crowdfunding campaign at Gays The Word bookshop in May 2017.

We had our first fundraiser in the basement of Hackney LGBTIQ+ venue – The Glory and attended Pride in London with Pride Punx the following day.

London’s LGBTIQ+ cabaret, punk and activist community overwhelmingly supported us throughout the summer to raise the £11.5k needed to buy a 12 bed tour bus to host our pilot shelter project.

Dec 2017

The pilot

Operating on a 90s tour bus that hosted the likes of Metalica, Radio head and Status Quo, our pilot shelter opened from December to February.

We continued to support with Outreach throughout the ‘Beast from the East’ snow storm.

From this Winter pilot we were able to demonstrate a need for a year round provision.

Summer 2018

Campaining continues

We spent the summer holding sober spaces at community events and festivals. We continued to support the community through outreach work of our team. We formed a bloc at the London Pride Parade alongside activists and community groups that had supported us throughout 2017..

Dec 2018

Community hub

We launched a weekly community hub in Camden in partnership with Castlehaven Community Centre and the Black Cap Foundation. We host our first Christmas Day Dinner Party, inviting 50+ members of the LGBTIQ+ Community to join us for Christmas dinner.

With funding from the Mayor of London we reopened the shelter as a year round service in partnership with Stonewall Housing. The shelter opened on Christmas Eve 2018 and has remained open every night since.

April 2019

Clerkenwell Firestation

We moved into the former Clerkenwell Fire Station and open our LGBTIQ+ Community Centre in the fire engine garage. The Shelter and offices are based in the former fire fighters housing on the upper levels.

Alongside the Outside Projects weekly social, support and recovery groups the community centre becomes a busy creative and meeting space home to many activist, community groups and creative projects:

Creme Anglaise Collective, Queerseum, African Rainbow Family, Black Cap Foundation, Friends of the Joiners Arms, Museum of Homelessness, Streets Kitchen, Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants , London Intersex and Trans Community Healthcare Hub (LITCH).

The Centre supports new projects such as LGBTIQ+ Cancer Support and Advocacy Group – Live Through This; Queer Youth Art Collective; LGBTIQ+ Library Book 28 Library; Virtual Community Centre free/accessible party – Queer House Party; A London faction of the global Voices4 direct action group Voices 4 London; and the Trans Board Game Group.

Dec 2019

Cafe Queero

We are funded by the Mayor of London to open ‘Cafe Queero’ – a 7 day per week drop in space at the Firestation

Community Centre.

We form a partnership with

Hej Coffee – a roastery in Southwark who provide coffee, hot chocolate and barista training.

We host a pop-up flash tattoo event in the HEJ coffee cafe and launch our own blend of coffee – ‘Cafe Queero’

March 2020

Covid-19 pandemic

Cafe Queero and the wider Community Centre activities are forced to close due to COVID-19.

Due to daycentre closures and the risk of the virus our shelter remains open 24hrs. We begin to campaign for emergency COVID safe accommodation. Watch our campaign video here: \#MAKESPACEFORHOMELESSQUEERS

June 2020

STAR Refuge opens

In response to the rise of DVA in COVID-19 The Outside Project opened STAR Refuge. Initially funded in June 2020 this project has been refunded twice by MOPAC. The Outside Project hired a new interim CEO Maari Nastari in February 2021 to develop the service into a long-term provision. We begin looking for a high quality accommodation provider to partner with and find a long-term home in London which is running to this date

Sept 2020

Emergency COVID safe accommodation

In partnership with a national hotel chain we opened a hotel in Soho exclusively for the use of the LGBTIQ+ community from September 2020 – February 2021. Our Outreach team continued to support LGBTIQ+ people in the COVID-19 protect hotels till 2023

June 2021

Our LGBTIQ+ Centre moves

We move out of Clerkenwell Firestation and move our LGBTIQ+ Centre into our current space in Borough (where our centre is still based)

African Rainbow Family, Book 28, Museum Of Homelessness, Queer Youth Art Collective and relocated over there with us and we continue to work with LGBTIQ+ organisers to provide workshops, health drop ins and for LGBTIQ+ people expiriencing

homelessness

2022

Westminster Outreach Programme

We are commissioned by Westminster Council to deliver LGBTIQ+ Identity responsive outreach to induviduals whom are expiriencing homelessnes in the Borough of Westminster .