Case Study: Queers of the North

We spoke to Queers of the North founders, Georgie and Sami, about their important work, and how Connected Voice has supported them as they grew their organisation.

Tell us about your organisation:

Queers of the North was established in May 2025 by Co-Founders Georgie White and Sami Rose. As members of the LGBTQIA+ community themselves, they both craved a sense of community which couldn't be fully found in Newcastle’s vibrant nightlife scene. There was a lack of sober-friendly spaces and events that fostered deep-rooted connection. 

While queer spaces have always existed, and it’s important that this stays true especially in today’s political climate, we found that there was a gap in organisations that showed the breadth of what was happening in the local area. 

We were proof of concept that if you don’t move in certain social circles, it’s likely that you’ll miss out on some of the amazing things that are happening. We didn’t want that to be the case for any other member of the queer community. From our own research and by connecting with different people, we found that there were many incredible groups and organisers doing fantastic work and we wanted to spotlight them. If people were looking for something to get involved in – whether it’s a sports clubs or sober-friendly socials – their first stop could be Queers of the North. We’re proud to be somewhat of a queer directory for the local area. 

However, Queers of the North has grown significantly over the past year. What started as a group that proudly supported what other organisers were doing, has now become an organisation that runs its own events and has established a formal network for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to join. This network, which is completely free to join, will allow members to feel like they’re part of something bigger – community and connection is so important right now – and we want to be the facilitators of that. 

The network acts as a way that we can reach members of the community in real time, share vital resources, promote activities, share thoughtful/queer-led content, and advocate directly for LGBTQIA+ rights.

 People can sign up to the network by visiting: www.queersofthenorth.com/network 

Photo Credit: dearjulia9, Instagram 

And what is your overall mission? 

It’s important that we pair our mission with our vision. The two go hand in hand! 

Mission: To provide and promote safe spaces where members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel seen, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves, grow with pride, and build lasting connections. 

Vision: To create a visible and vibrant LGBTQIA+ network that educates, advocates, and supports through connecting people to our events, resources, amplifying diverse voices, and driving positive change on the issues that matter most.  

Tell us a bit about your day-to-day work – who do you support and what sort of work do you do? 

We’ve recently just celebrated our first anniversary, and we intentionally spent that first year building the brand to what it is today. We’ve become one of the most trusted LGBTQIA+ community groups in the city, if not, the region. We have people engage with us from all corners of the North East, with people travelling far and wide to attend events like our Queer Coffee Club (which take place on the first Saturday of the month at The Cycle Hub in Newcastle). We’re incredibly grateful for the love and commitment members of our community have shown us to date. 

Both of us work full-time jobs, so day-to-day running of Queers of the North can look different week by week. Georgie leads marketing activities for an international development charity, and Sami is the owner of Brew & Bind, a coffee/bookshop in Monkseaton, which we also run events out of. 

When we are working on Queers of the North, there is a heavy mix of public-facing activities and behind-the-scenes planning. We maintain a highly engaged social media presence, spend time connecting with other groups and organisers, attending and supporting events, and providing members of our community with the support and resources they need. We’re also running our signature events each month which includes The Queer Coffee Club, Queer Brew, The Friends of Dorothy Book Club, as well as many more that meet the needs of the community.  

Behind the scenes, we’ve been hard at work designing ‘Phase 2’ of Queers of the North, thinking about how we grow and become more sustainable. This has meant looking at our own events programme for the next year, thinking about fundraising opportunities to ensure we are a viable organisation, and expanding our digital presence through the launch of our brand-new website, which is the formal gateway for people to join the Queers of the North network.  

We’re an ambitious pair and have some exciting plans for what we want Queers of the North to be. We’re growing, and we want the world to grow with us – with pride. If there’s any organisations who’d like to support with our journey, we would love it if they reached out to see how we could collaborate by visiting: www.queersofthenorth.com/partnerships 

How have Connected Voice supported you as an organisation? 

We had a really great experience working with Connected Voice when we were initially thinking about how we grow Queers of the North into a sustainable organisation that could drive even more impact for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the North East.  

It was recommended that we register ourselves as a Community Interest Company (CIC), and we were provided with all the relevant information to help us do so. Connected Voice offered to look over any documents we had prepared ahead of submitting and gave some positive feedback on what we had put together. As this wasn’t something either of us had done before, we really appreciated their input and how helpful they were throughout the entire process. 

To date, Connected Voice keeps us engaged with relevant opportunities. We really appreciate the emails we receive from Josh, who was the staff member helping us from the beginning, where he signposts different things that are relevant to what we are doing. This personal touch shows that he cares about the success of Queers of the North just as much as us. We are incredibly grateful for the experience we’ve had with him. 

What are some of the main challenges you have faced? 

Due to being completely volunteer-led, not having enough time has been the biggest challenge we have faced. As mentioned previously, we have spent the past year building up the Queers of the North brand, and this next year is going to be focused on growth. To do this, we’ll be looking at welcoming some additional support from members of the Queers of the North network. 

We have also been running to on a low-to-no cost basis, but we understand this is not sustainable especially for the growth plans that we have. Over the next year, we need to secure funding to support with our work going forward. If you’re a funder reading this, and feel inspired by what we are doing, please do get in touch! 

And your highlights/best bits? 

Our highlight has been meeting so many new people and welcoming them into our community, which we truly hope has become a safe space for them. Running events like The Queer Coffee Club every month, selling out our evening events, and hosting a range of other activities, has shown us exactly why there’s a need for organisations like Queers of the North to exist. 

From day one, our mission has never changed. We want people to feel seen, to feel supported, to be empowered to be their authentic selves, and grow with pride. This is only achieved when communities come together. We’re proud to have people from all walks of life be part of the Queers of the North journey. 

What would you say to another local organisation if asked about seeking support from Connected Voice? 

We have already recommended Connected Voice to several other groups and organisations who we know would benefit from their expertise. We had a positive experience when looking for advice on becoming a CIC, and it’s been great to be thought of for different opportunities that are relevant to us as a queer-led organisation. 

If your organisation could benefit from support with anything mentioned above, please get in touch with our Support and Development team at connect@connectedvoice.org.uk or call us on 0191 232 7445.