London Borough of Croydon

Croydon is a Borough in South London, with a population of nearly a third of a million people. There have been one or more gay or LGBT groups in the Borough since 1971.

General gay groups

London Group Seven of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality was founded in 1971 but was soon renamed Croydon CHE Group. When the various CHE groups were split from the parent organisation it became Croydon Area Lesbian and Gay Society (CALGS) and subsequently Croydon Area Gay Society (CAGS). It celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011 with a party at a local gay venue, and a reminiscences session in a pub in central Croydon. CAGS has a variety of social events every month, an open meeting alternate months, and an active tennis group, playing every Sunday throughout the year. Silver Rainbow, an offshoot of CAGS, offers a lunch club for older gay and lesbian people on alternate weeks.

Trans people

Croydon Trans Group was set up in 2000, and meets monthly in a local venue.

Befriending

Croydon Friend was set up to provide a counselling and befriending service, with regular telsphone help sessions and other activities. It lasted from 1973 to 2001, by which time the need for such a service had been much reduced.

Younger people

Croydon Area Gay Youth (CAGY) flourished for a number of years, generally working in partnership with CAGS (the two groups shared a chairman for about a year). Croydon Gay 20s and 30s lasted for a short time, but never attracted many members. In the 21st century to new groups have been started, The Bridge (a youth group run by Croydon Council) and Crocus 18-30.

HIV and AIDS

The ACE Centre (AIDS Care and Education) operated for several years in its own premises in Croydon and later Mitcham, providing support for people affected by HIV, with several members of local gay community in leading roles.

Forums and Networks

The Croydon LGBT Forum, set up in 1997 (as the Croydon Lesbian and Gay Forum) operated until 2006. In 2007 it was replaced by the Croydon LGBT Network, later renamed Crocus.

Aurora, Croydon's LGBT Police Consulation Group, has been meeting on alternate months since 2003.

Gay venues

At one time there were a number of gay venues in Croydon, including the Croydon pub in St George's Walk (long since boarded up), and the Goose and Carrot (demolished). The Star in West Croydon, although not gay, was the location for a very successful series of discos which raised money for the Croydon CHE Group. It has since been renamed the Broad Green Tavern.

Currently the only full-time LGBT venue is the Bird in Hand, Sydenham Road.