Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard marks 50 years of community care

More than 150 people gathered at Brighton i360 as Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard launched its 50th anniversary year with a community celebration honouring five decades of service to LGBTQ+ people. Among the guests was Amanda Collier from BBC’s The Traitors, who presented the charity’s first 50th Anniversary Community Awards and has become one of Switchboard’s most active new supporters.

The event brought together former volunteers, current staff, trustees, service users, partner organisations, funders and allies. Attendees reflected on the organisation’s development from a small telephone helpline into one of Sussex’s leading LGBTQ+ charities, scenemag reports.

Founded in 1975 as the Lavender Line, Switchboard emerged at a time when many LGBTQ+ people faced major barriers to information, support and community connection. Volunteers took the first call on 25 April 1975, providing guidance on local LGBTQ+ groups, venues and services. Over five decades the charity has expanded its services and now reaches thousands of LGBTQ+ people through projects such as its BOLD programme for older LGBTQ+ people experiencing bereavement, loneliness and dementia, social prescribing for trans, non-binary and intersex communities, specialist domestic abuse support, Rainbow Neighbours befriending, and gambling harms recovery support.

Speakers included Chief Executive Rob Sainsbury, former chair Brian Warren, former volunteer Jenny and LGBTQ+ community historian Alf Le Flohic, who shared memories of Switchboard’s early years and the development of Brighton’s LGBTQ+ communities. The evening featured a performance from Brighton cabaret artist Ophelia Payne, exclusive anniversary merchandise created by trans artist and activist Fox Fisher, a fundraising raffle and food provided by community organisation Lunch Positive.

The inaugural Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard 50th Anniversary Community Awards formed a central part of the celebration. Richard Johnson received the Volunteer Award for decades of service. Tanya Levene was honoured as an Unsung Hero for sustained support of Switchboard’s domestic abuse services. The Breakfast Club received the Community Partner Award for creating a welcoming space for older LGBTQ+ people, and Jodie Cruttenden with the team at Cove Reformer Pilates Studio were recognised for committed allyship and inclusive practice.

Following the event, Switchboard highlighted the importance of seeing generations of volunteers, staff, supporters and service users come together to recognise fifty years of standing alongside LGBTQ+ people across Brighton & Hove, Sussex and further afield. The charity has planned additional activities throughout the year, including a major gala in 2026, as it enters a sixth decade as a central pillar of LGBTQ+ life in the region.

As community organisations like Switchboard continue to build safety, visibility and connection, LGBTQ+ people and allies can also strengthen this progress in their professional lives by joining inclusive networks; signing up to myGwork offers one such route to connect with equality-focused employers, resources and a global LGBTQ+ community.

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