The Furzedown Project

The group is largely self-organised by its members rather than run as a formal service. Participants help shape the sessions, welcome newcomers and sustain the group through shared responsibility, reflecting long traditions of mutual support within LGBTQ+ communities — especially among people who came of age when few public institutions offered visible inclusion.
Alongside informal conversation and socialising, the coffee mornings sometimes include guest speakers and themed sessions, encouraging discussion of history, health, culture and local issues affecting LGBTQ+ people. For many attendees, the group provides not only companionship but also a sense of visibility and recognition that may have been absent for much of their lives.
Several members of the coffee morning have also contributed stories and memories to the Queer Wandsworth project, linking present-day community life to longer histories of activism, survival and connection across the borough.
Placing this entry here highlights how queer history in Wandsworth is not only about past venues or moments of crisis, but about ongoing community-building — sustained through regular meetings, shared care and the simple act of showing up for one another week after week.