The Brigade has said farewell to London’s first LGBTIQ+ homeless shelter it has hosted at the vacant Clerkenwell Fire Station since 2019, as it moves into new premises.
In April 2019, The Outside Project set up the homeless shelter and a LGBTIQ+ community centre in the fire station, which has been non-operational since 2014, while plans were made to sell the property. When the planned sale fell through we extended their stay, enabling The Outside Project to continue their important work providing people safety, shelter and support when their LGBTIQ+ status contributed to their homelessness.
The Brigade’s Head of Property Strategy, Judith Cosaitis said: “The Brigade was glad to be able to help The Outside Project find a temporary home to support its lifesaving community outreach service within central London, and especially during a global pandemic. We collaborated with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to support the Mayor’s work to combat homelessness, as well as Stonewall Housing, to ensure the vacant fire station could be put to a worthwhile interim use as a community asset. We’re proud to see how the vitally important service has grown since arriving at our former fire station at Clerkenwell. We wish The Outside Project all the best for the future.”
The shelter is the first of its kind in London. Initially providing ten beds overnight, the shelter increased to 14 and to a 24-hour service due to the pandemic in 2020. Alongside the Outside Project’s weekly social, support and recovery groups, the community centre became a busy creative meeting space. It hosted many activist, community groups and creative projects such as, Museum of Homelessness, Streets Kitchen, and African Rainbow Family. The centre also supported the development of new projects such as, LGBTIQ+ Cancer Support and Advocacy Group – Live Through This, and the Queer Youth Art Collective. It also provided a meeting space for the Star Refuge Domestic Abuse service - the first LGBTIQ+ domestic abuse refuge in London.
During the pandemic, The Outside Project was forced to close the community centre to avoid infection risk, but with strict covid-safe measures in place it was able to continue providing a shelter.
The Brigade has worked hard in recent years to become a supportive, inclusive place for people to work. Our LGBT+ support group provides friendship, support and advice to colleagues, and we have committed to developing our diversity and inclusion work in our Togetherness Strategy.
Carla Ecola, Director for the Outside Project said: “The fire station gave us the permanence and security we needed for our shelter to remain open all year round. Plants, flags and community donations brought this historic building back to life as the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ crisis shelter.
“Thanks to this building, and the incredible hard work of our crew we have had no cases of Covid-19 at our premises. With the ongoing support of the GLA, our shelter is moving into a Covid-safe building.
“We can’t thank the Brigade and the GLA enough for ‘making space for homeless queers’. We wish the Brigade the best of luck with the future plans for this beautiful building that became our first proper home - and has no doubt saved many lives again.”