History

The Metro Centre was set up in 1984 in response to the Greater London Council's Lesbian & Gay Charter of 1983 ‘Changing the World’. Originally operating under the name The Greenwich Lesbian and Gay Centre the organisation provided a telephone advice and information line as well as social and support groups for a decade. In 1994 the Metro Centre was born, as the original organisation broadened its remit to become a charity working in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations serving lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and those questioning their sexuality. We now also work with mainstream organisations providing diversity training with the aim of improving health and other public services for lesbians, gay and bisexual people.

From its inception, The Metro Centre has taken a holistic approach to gay, lesbian and bisexual health and well-being. The Centre has always acknowledged that our health and well-being is determined by a number of social factors or determinants, including homophobia, income, education, housing and HIV status. From very early days The Metro Centre has played a key role in HIV prevention and sexual health promotion with gay and bisexual men living in South East London. This continues nearly a quarter of a century later, as we work in an environment where HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are on the rise.

We have always acknowledged as well that our ability to make decisions about our health and well-being is determined by our social and emotional well-being, and consequently we work with all ages of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who are living with a mental illness.

Click here for more information: A Brief History