OUT North East opens region's largest LGBTQ+ community hub amid rising homophobia and transphobia

OUT North East has celebrated a landmark moment with the official opening of the ONE Centre, now recognised as the largest LGBTQ+ community hub in the region. The launch, which coincided with the start of LGBTQ+ History Month, brought partners, supporters and community members together to unveil a space designed to champion visibility, connection and creativity across the North East.

The opening comes at a crucial time. According to local reporting, the new hub launches amid rising hate crime statistics across the region, with steep increases in both transphobia and homophobia highlighted as a growing concern. The ONE Centre aims to be a vital safe space in response to this trend.

During the launch, guests were shown around the Centre’s diverse facilities, including community rooms, a communal kitchen, a counselling space, podcast studios and flexible function areas. OUT North East emphasised that the entire building has been shaped through community consultation, reflecting what local LGBTQ+ people said they most needed: sober space, accessible facilities and a setting away from the high street. 

The building also features powerful new artwork, including a 12ft by 7ft installation revealed at the launch. Created by local artist Chris Fleming (Ida4), the piece celebrates LGBTQ+ icons such as Judy Garland, The Vivienne and Chappell Roan. Attendees described seeing people connect with the artwork as a special and emotional moment.

In a highlight of the event, representatives from the National Lottery announced that OUT North East has been awarded £330,754 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The organisation described the award as a huge endorsement of their vision, particularly as many traditional safe spaces - such as LGBTQ-friendly cafés and libraries - have closed following the pandemic. 

OUT North East CEO Peter Darrant expressed that “there has never been more of a need for such a centre”, pointing to the rise in hate crime and the decreasing number of safe meeting places for LGBTQ+ people in the region. He described the ONE Centre as a place where people can “sit and chat, take part in workshops, produce podcasts, or just get to know each other in a friendly, welcoming environment”, with every room named after a gay icon. 

The Centre is designed not only as a social space but also as a central point for support, signposting individuals to specialist LGBTQ+ organisations and providing facilities for community groups to meet.

Launching the ONE Centre during LGBTQ+ History Month added depth and resonance to the celebrations. Many supporters - including Kate Osborne MP, local councils across Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Newcastle, and Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth - were acknowledged for helping bring the project to life.

OUT North East described the event as a “history-making moment”, one that honours the activism and resilience of past generations while creating a bold, visible future for LGBTQ+ people across the region.

Those wishing to experience the ONE Centre first-hand can attend its open weekend on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February, from 10am to 4pm.