Opening Doors

What Opening Doors does

Opening Doors (legal name: Opening Doors London) was a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1167919) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 10123607), founded in 2016 and headquartered at Unit 4.5 Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA. It operated as the only dedicated national charity connecting LGBTQ+ people over 50 with activities, events, support, and information, with a primary focus on London but national UK reach. Core services comprised free direct-to-member programs — Befriending, Telefriending, Dementia Services, the Bi-the-Way meetup, a BAME/PoC group, and a Trans & Non-Binary group — delivered by trained volunteers and staff, supplemented by accredited LGBTQ+ training for health and social care professionals, the Pride in Care quality standard, and research/policy initiatives including the three-year Precarious Lives study.

The business model blended donation-driven and earned-income streams: public donations and fundraising appeals (e.g., the LGBTQ+ Dementia Support appeal raising £7,490.70 against a £10,000 target), legacy gifts, corporate partnerships for workplace inclusion, training fees for accredited courses, and an implicit in-kind contribution from volunteers. Core services were free to members, with a Freemium pricing posture and suggested donations of £5/£10/£20. Marketing was community-led, primarily through organic social (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletter, referrals, and earned media including recognition by UN experts. No proprietary technology platform was identified; service delivery used standard tools including Zoom for remote groups.

The organization announced permanent closure on February 29, 2024 due to ongoing financial challenges resulting in insolvency. At closure it reported 2,230+ members, 120 active befriending/telefriending relationships, and a 2019 member survey indicating 82% of members felt more connected to LGBTQ+ communities as a result of engagement. The closure marks a terminal decline of an organization whose small-scale, donation-dependent economics ultimately proved unsustainable despite strong community traction and unique positioning in the UK LGBTQ+ aging sector.

Name

Opening Doors

Legal name

Opening Doors London

Website

https://openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Opening Doors was a UK-registered charity connecting LGBTQ+ people over 50 with free befriending, dementia support, community groups, and accredited training for health and social care professionals, operating nationally with a London focus until its permanent closure in February 2024 due to insolvency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Senior Community Support Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ elderly support
• Befriending services
• Dementia care support
• Diversity training programs
• Charity community services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on public donations and fundraising campaigns. They run specific appeals such as the LGBTQ+ Dementia Support appeal and accept one-time or regular donations through their website.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Opening Doors maintains corporate partnership programs for organizations seeking to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace and care sectors.
3. Training Fees: Accredited LGBTQ+ training for health and social care professionals generates revenue through course fees.
4. Membership: While services appear to be free for members, membership may include optional paid components or generate in-kind value through volunteer time.
5. Legacy Gifts: The organization encourages supporters to leave legacy gifts as part of their long-term funding strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Opening Doors is a UK national charity delivering free social support services, community groups, dementia care, and accredited professional training for LGBTQ+ people over 50. Core services include one-to-one Befriending and Telefriending, identity-specific community groups, Dementia Services, and the Pride in Care quality standard. The organization complements direct service with research, policy advocacy, and accredited training for health and social care professionals.

Product overview

Opening Doors is a national charity offering a suite of interconnected services for LGBTQ+ people over 50. The core offering consists of Befriending and Telefriending programs providing one-to-one social support, along with specialized groups including Dementia Services, Bi-the-Way, BAME/PoC, and Trans & Non-Binary groups. The organization complements direct member services with accredited LGBTQ+ Training for health and social care professionals, a Pride in Care Quality Standard for care providers, and Research and Policy initiatives including the Precarious Lives study. All services are free to members, with a focus on reducing isolation and building community connections across the UK with particular emphasis on London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Befriending Service One-to-one social support from trained volunteers providing connection and companionship to isolated LGBTQ+ individuals over 50.
• Telefriending Service Telephone-based befriending service providing regular phone contact for members who are isolated or housebound.
• Dementia Services Specialized support services for LGBTQ+ people affected by dementia, including tailored care and support for individuals and caregivers.
• LGBTQ+ Training for Professionals Accredited training program for health and social care professionals on LGBTQ+ inclusion and best practices in care settings.
• Pride in Care Quality Standard A quality standard initiative for care providers to ensure inclusive services for LGBTQ+ individuals across the care sector.
• Bi-the-Way Meetup Group A dedicated group and meetup for bisexual individuals within the LGBTQ+ over-50s community.
• BAME/PoC LGBTQ+ Group A support group for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic LGBTQ+ individuals providing intersectional community support.
• Trans & Non-Binary Group A virtual support group for transgender and non-binary individuals over 50 delivered via Zoom.
• Research and Policy Program Research initiatives including the three-year Precarious Lives study into poverty among LGBTQ+ over-50s in London, and policy development work informing national frameworks for LGBTQ+ aging.
• Free Membership Program Free membership program connecting LGBTQ+ people over 50 with activities, events, support and information across the Opening Doors service portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of members feel more connected to LGBTQ+ communities (Member Survey 2019)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashurst LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshurst LLP, an international law firm, assisted with the production of the ground-breaking Joint Strategic Needs Assessments report on provisions for the older LGBTQ+ population of London. Professor Ben Thomas served as research lead.
• Corporate PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOpening Doors maintains a corporate partnerships program for organizations seeking to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces and care sectors, though specific corporate partners are not named on the website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: Large UK charity serving all older adults with advice, befriending, and dementia services. Operates the same adjacent categories (befriending, dementia support, older-people isolation) at much greater scale, with newer LGBTQ+ inclusion initiatives partially overlapping Opening Doors' remit.
• Alzheimer's Society: UK national dementia charity providing support services, training, and policy leadership. Directly relevant to Opening Doors' specialized dementia services arm and comparable in operating in the dementia support and professional training space.

Emerging players

• CliniQ: UK-based sexual health and wellbeing service for trans and non-binary people, with London roots. Comparable as a small specialist LGBTQ+ services charity in London addressing intersectional community needs.
• Stonewall Housing: UK LGBTQ+ charity providing housing advice, support, and advocacy. Comparable as a small UK LGBTQ+ specialist nonprofit in community services space, though focused on housing rather than aging/dementia.
• PACE Health & Wellbeing: UK LGBTQ+ mental health charity offering counselling and wellbeing services. Comparable as a London-based LGBTQ+ mental health/community support organization with similar small-charity profile and professional training elements.
• AKT (Albert Kennedy Trust): UK charity supporting LGBTQ+ young people facing homelessness. Comparably structured small UK LGBTQ+ specialist charity delivering direct services and working with vulnerable populations, but with a youth rather than aging focus.

Direct peers

• Switchboard LGBT: UK LGBTQ+ helpline providing listening, information, and support services — historically serving as a befriending-style resource for isolated LGBTQ+ people. Directly comparable service model and UK charity structure.
• LGBT Foundation: UK-based LGBTQ+ charity (Manchester) delivering community services, helpline support, and programs for LGBTQ+ people including older adults. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and the mix of community support plus professional training.
• MindOut: UK LGBTQ+ mental health charity providing online support, peer support groups, and befriending-style services. Closely comparable in offering mental wellbeing services to LGBTQ+ adults and operating as a small UK nonprofit with community-led delivery.
• SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders): US national nonprofit providing advocacy, community, and direct services for LGBTQ+ older adults. The closest mission-equivalent to Opening Doors on a global basis, sharing the LGBTQ+ aging focus, befriending-style services, and research/policy orientation.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OpeningDoorsUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCG6VMswq50uCcq0zXiFBfQA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/openingdoorslgbtq
• Instagraminstagram.com/openingdoorslgbtq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opening-doors-lgbt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opening Doors