The OutHouse has been breaking ground ever since it launched as the Colchester Gay Switchboard in 1979.
Since then its name may have changed a few times but the work it does remains as important as ever.
It is one of the only organisations offering dedicated support services for the LGBTQ+ community in the east of England.
Times, and people’s attitudes, have changed, but the charity continues to support the marginalised in Colchester and across Essex.
It will soon mark its 45th anniversary and remains committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
It offers a range of support for LGBTQIA+ people across Essex, from socials to counselling and tailored support.
Alongside this it offers services to adults and young people, such as LGBTQ+ training, which aims to help businesses, schools and colleges develop an understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.
Last month, Thomas Empson was welcomed as the new CEO, and he said it is a “real honour to have been chosen as the new guardian for the charity” by The OutHouse trustees.
Thomas has more than 17 years of experience in the education and charitable sectors and in delivering nationally funded projects.
When it was founded in 1979 it offered a compassionate service to people affected by the AIDS pandemic.
Thomas said: “This service was a salvation to people who had been largely ostracised by their biological families and society.
“Over the years, through fundraising and the generosity of others, we have grown and developed to what The OutHouse is known as today: a range of services and safe spaces where everyone can thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Thomas will set out a vision and mission for The OutHouse over the coming months, which will be informed by the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
He added: “I myself came out at the age of 22 in Tollesbury.
"Back when I was questioning my own sexuality, when you didn’t see same sex couples in society or in the media, I wish I knew there was a safe space like The OutHouse to build friendships and better understand what I was going through.”
The OutHouse delivers LGBTQIA+ awareness training to public, private, and voluntary sector organisations and educational institutes keen to learn about being more inclusive.
Queer people are also able to meet local role models, from older couples who have been together for decades, to couples who are raising a family or trailblazers who are in the process of transitioning.
“In our safe space, you get to see all the possibilities of love, life, and laughter we are not always taught about,” Thomas said.
He continued: “While society has made great strides in being more inclusive, homophobia and transphobia are still prevalent in pockets of society and the demand on our services remains as we continue to foster a more inclusive society.”
Before The OutHouse, Thomas enabled aspiring young black business owners in south London to further their business ideas by partnering them with industry mentors, in both Goldsmiths University and the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation.
While working for Mencap, he worked to empower young people with learning disabilities to educate the criminal justice system, schools, and health care settings to be more accessible and inclusive.
Thomas said: “My approach to working with underrepresented communities is about allowing space to visualise the future, empowering them to achieve and giving visibility to role models.
“There is so much to do, and I’m really excited to think about all that can be achieved within Essex and Greater Anglia for the community.”
As CEO, Thomas will be developing the charity’s strategy for the next fiv years by speaking with members of the community and to new and existing partners.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to realising a range of innovative projects here in Essex for the LGBTQIA+ community, ranging form services to safe spaces where everyone can thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Thomas will develop the plan over the coming months, before The OutHouse celebrates 45 years in December.
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