Outsiders Pride is Back

Thu, June 24, 2021

This Sunday, the 27th of July, The Outside Project will be taking over our community park for their annual 'Outsider Pride' picnic. This is a sober event, free from brands and corporate logos in rainbows, where families, activists and allies can come together through readings, performances and memorials to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots and to commemorate the LGBTQ+ homeless who proudly fought for their rights.

The Outside Project is an LGBTQ+ Community Centre, Domestic Abuse Refuge and London's first permanent homeless shelter for the LGBTQ+ community. Castlehaven started working in partnership with the project in October 2018 when we met to discuss a Christmas day event called 'Outsidermas'. Through a discussion, we decided to give the project free space to start a weekly community drop in a dry (alcohol & drug-free) social space to meet others due to the lack of sober spaces and disappearing LGBTQ+ venues. The session was called 'Outside in', and attendees received professional advice and guidance from various organisations in addition to a quiet space for meditation, reading and relaxing, arts & crafts, cookery sessions, free haircuts & clothing repairs.

Since then, The Outside Project has hosted three 'Outsidermas' events, providing shelter and food to the vulnerable homeless LGBTIQ+ community on Christmas Day and provided stalls and workshops at our annual WinterFest event. We are incredibly proud of working in partnership with The Outside Project and the LGBTQ+ community. When Covid-19 restrictions are fully lifted, we hope to restart our 'Outside in', sessions and host another 'Outsidermas' event this Christmas.