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# OUT North East opens region's largest LGBTQ+ community hub amid rising homophobia and transphobia
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/out-north-east-opens-regions-largest-lgbtq-community-hub-amid-rising-homophobia-and-transphobia/
- Published: 2026-02-03T11:17:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-03T11:17:24.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: UK

**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.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/02/627686995_1014337805088762_5246498814565839361_n.jpg)

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. 

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/02/626853286_1014338178422058_202031820863452337_n.jpg)

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.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/02/626799015_1014338065088736_8786473641055691767_n.jpg)

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. 

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/02/627392764_1014338125088730_8882279909337651829_n.jpg)

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**.