Friends of the Joiners Arms

We're opening the UK's first community-run queer venue in London

About Our Campaign

THE NEWS YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR... 
WE'VE FOUND A SPACE FOR OUR QUEER VENUE!

Three years ago we launched our share sale and were overwhelmed by the response - with over 2000 amazing community shareholders backing our vision. Since then we have considered more than 60 venues - so many were unsuitable because of limits on accessibility or not being financially sustainable, and we had some real gems that fell through during negotiations. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but through it all we’ve kept our hopes high with the support and patience of this incredible community.

And now for the exciting part…we have now officially signed an agreement to lease a fabulous space at Bohemia Place in Hackney!

This space fits the vision we set out at the start of this journey, where we can bring together our community in joy and solidarity, providing for strong accessibility, ample space to platform performers and artists, while allowing us to run as a viable business.

There is lots of work to be done in terms of planning and fit-out, but we are so excited to have reached this milestone and share this news. As we work toward our opening timeline, we will be looking for your input and support on shaping exactly what the space can look like, and there will be lots of opportunities to get active in bringing the space to life!

We will keep you updated on opportunities to engage in this exciting part of the journey, and in the meantime you can access the FAQ we have created with more information about the plans for the space so far.

Thank you for your solidarity, patience and belief, and watch out for more exciting news soon.

Long live queer spaces!

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Our Vision

We are Friends of the Joiners Arms. And we are here to recruit you!
We are a Community Benefit Society, which means we will invest any profits back into our queer space for the benefit of the community. No one will become richer at our expense!
We demand a space to be supported, we demand a space to be celebrated, we demand a right to the city.
Why should you become a member?

Because there are no community-run queer spaces in London! And because being a member means you have control over what you want this space to be. We can’t do this without you!
What is a community share?

When you buy a share, you become a member.
This costs £25 - but we’ll take more £££ if you’ve got it!
Every share sold gets us closer to the £100,000 we need to raise, so you can buy as many as you can afford.
But regardless of how much money you give us, we are a democratic society, so it’s 1 person = 1 vote.
We also have a pay-it-forward scheme if you want to buy shares for people on limited/no income.
Email us at: friendsjoinersarms@gmail.com

Want to learn more?

Business Plan

Read all about our plan to run this venue with the community.

Appendices

Supporting information for the Business Plan.

Share Offer

Find out what it means to own a share.

The JOIN Project

Throughout 2024, FOTJA worked with community partners to explore how queer spaces can be more radically inclusive, including by creating better opportunities for work, training and volunteering for LGBTQIA+ people who have experience of homelessness and/or have insecure immigration status.

Over a year of creative workshops, peer interviews, surveys, comment cards and more we have created a Community Toolkit and Podcast series for everyone to learn, share and enjoy.

click to learn more

What people are saying:

“As a trans person, it feels like coming home when I go to a space like this [Lèse Majesté], a rare opportunity to feel truly comfortable in London”.”

— Attendee

“Lèse Majesté felt safe and revolutionary, all at the same time”.

— Attendee