The Black Cap Community Returns To Castlehaven

 Mon, October 04, 2021

We are pleased to announce that the Black Cap Community will be running their free LGBTQ+ Community Hub here at Castlehaven every Monday from 6 - 9pm.

The Community Hub is a laid-back sober social for LGBTQ+ people and friends in Camden. Each week there will be an optional activity such as collage making, cooking or watching a film. Occasionally there will be visits from other organisations and businesses providing haircuts, clothes alterations and sexual health screening/advice. There will also be snacks (including vegan and gluten-free), tea, coffee, hot chocolate (dairy & plant-based milk available) and other non-alcoholic drinks.

This event will take place online as well as in the centre. Guests are free to come and go between the hours of 6 - 9pm. However, we do ask anyone dropping in to please wear a face-covering and to do a rapid lateral flow test a day or two beforehand if possible. Many people who come to the Hub are clinically vulnerable, and we all need to look after each other. We trust you to do this, and won't be asking for proof of exemption or test results. If you cannot drop in or are more comfortable taking part online, you can still join in some of the activities here.

The Black Cap Community is a community organisation that campaigns to re-open the Black Cap on Camden High Street. The Black Cap is a pub, club, cabaret, and community space. It was one of Camden's oldest pubs, and for more than 60 years was one of London's major LGBTQ+ venues. Unfortunately, it was closed down by its owners in 2015 to become luxury flats, but a grassroots campaign by the Black Cap Community & others has prevented this from happening and is working on getting the Black Cap to re-open.

The Black Cap was, among other things, an important LGBTQ+ social space where queer and trans people from different generations and backgrounds could meet safely. The Black Cap Community Hub continues that tradition. Please visit their website for more information about the Black Cap and their weekly Community Hub.