London's LGBTQ+ Community Centre Celebrates Second Anniversary With Announcement of New Board Chair
January 9, 2023The London LGBTQ+ Community Centre celebrates its second year as the City's intersectional focal point of the queer community with the appointment of a new board Chair.
As the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre enters a more established phase, it has announced the appointment of businesswoman and LGBTQ+ advocate Raga D’silva as the new Chair of the Board. Author of Untold Lies, a collection of stories and poems concerning the South Asian queer experience, D’silva came out as a lesbian at the age of 50. Along with co-chair Angus Waite, she has pledged to use her own personal experiences to progress the community in a meaningful way.
Image Credit: London LGBTQ+ Community Centre
“Being appointed as a Chair of the London LGBTQ+ Centre is an absolute honor and privilege,” said Raga D’silva. “It allows me the opportunity to use my own lived experiences, knowledge, expertise and passion to work together with the fantastic team of Trustees and volunteers at the Centre to take it to the next phase.
“The team has a powerful blend of youth and experience and I am personally looking forward to the journey. A welcoming, safe, sober place would have been a lifesaver for me and I want to make sure that people from all communities know we are here for them, especially those like myself whose family and/or communities reject them. Such places save lives, and I am delighted to be a part of it. I look forward to welcoming our community and allies to the Centre.”
Co-Chair of the Community Centre Angus Waite spoke of their excitement at the appointment of Raga D’silva, and how proud they are of how far the Centre has come: “The appointment of such an inspirational chair in Raga D’silva is a testament to the growth in impact and profile that the Centre has achieved in just 12 short months,” said Angus.
“We are hugely indebted to the work that our staff have put in, led by Bisila Noha (she/her), over the period. Raga’s lived experience as a queer woman from India and her clear skills as a businesswoman and LGBTQ+ advocate will radically uplift the positive impact we can have as an organization. As one of the earliest volunteers back in 2017, I feel immensely proud of the contribution of the hundreds of individuals who have helped bring the Centre from idea to reality. We remain at the service of our community, which needs as much love and support this winter as we can possibly provide.”
Thousands of LGBTQ+ people have passed through the doors of the Centre over the past 12 months since it opened in London's Blackfriars in December 2021. Originally touted as a six-month pop-up, a successful initial period led to a series of contract extensions, culminating in the offer of a five-year lease from Southwark Council for the site, which has seen strong support from local residents and the broader queer community. There is now a thriving schedule of over 30 meet-up groups, skills workshops, and support networks including queer book club, film screenings, yoga, meditation, LGBTQ+ youth groups, over 55s meetups, counselling, HIV testing, LGBTQ+ family workshops, language classes, arts and crafts workshops, IT skills, queer history and much more.
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