What LGBT HERO does

LGBT HERO is a UK-registered charity (Health Equality and Rights Organisation) operating as the national health and wellbeing platform for LGBTQ+ people. Founded in 1992 as Gay Men Fighting AIDS (GMFA) and unified under the LGBT HERO brand in 2021, the organisation delivers services through a website-based platform (lgbthero.org.uk) comprising online peer-support forums (30,000+ monthly visitors), structured HangOuts peer-support groups (LGBTQ+, Trans+, South Asian, 50+, and Forty & Beyond GBT groups), searchable support directories across HIV, mental health, suicide prevention, sexual assault, and trans services, the FS Magazine content publication, and a campaigns hub covering voting rights, smoking/vaping, and trans sexual wellbeing. The platform reports 680,000+ people supported annually and 5,000+ individuals connected through peer-support groups.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit revenue structure. Core services are free to end users; revenue is generated through individual donations at six tier levels (£5 factsheets, £20 forums, £50 mental health media, £100 campaigns, £250 peer-support groups, £500 new programmes) supplemented by fee-paying LGBTQ+ awareness training delivered to enterprise clients. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the website, forums, email newsletter, and a multi-platform social media presence (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, BlueSky), with B2B training as the secondary channel. Strategic partners include the Royal Vauxhall Tavern for community events.

The organisation operates with a small staff of approximately 10 employees based at its London headquarters in Brixton, supported by volunteers. Governance is provided by a board of directors, with Ian Howley serving as Chief Executive and Michael Harvey appointed Chair in May 2026. The charity is registered in England and Wales (Charity No. 1076854, Company No. 2702133) as a company limited by guarantee with no parent company or external institutional ownership.

Name

LGBT HERO

Legal name

Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Website

https://lgbthero.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Health and Wellbeing Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ health charity
• Peer support services
• Sexual health support
• Mental health support
• Community health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Charity receives donations from individuals at various levels (£5, £20, £50, £100, £250, £500) to support LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing services
2. LGBTQ+ Awareness Training: Provides LGBTQ+ awareness training to organisations as a revenue stream

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LGBT HERO (legally Health Equality and Rights Organisation) is a UK national health and wellbeing charity that provides free health information, peer-support groups, online forums, support directories, and rights resources to LGBTQ+ individuals. It also delivers paid LGBTQ+ awareness training to organisations. Its core offerings span sexual health (HIV, STIs, PrEP, mpox), mental health and suicide prevention, hate crime and voting rights support, trans+ wellbeing workshops, and community-building programmes such as HangOuts groups.

Product overview

LGBT HERO is a national health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ people, operating as a platform with multiple interconnected services. The core platform (lgbthero.org.uk) serves as a comprehensive resource hub, supported by specialized sub-products including peer support groups (HangOuts), searchable support directories, online forums, professional training, and health campaigns. GMFA (now a retired sub-brand) provided sexual wellbeing resources for gay, bi and trans men. FS Magazine serves as a content publication. The organization operates community-focused services rather than a traditional SaaS product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GMFA (retired 2022): Gay Men Fighting AIDS - the original name and brand, established in 1992. Retired in 2022 but preserved in an online archive. Was the sexual wellbeing project for gay, bi and trans men brought to you by LGBT HERO.
• FS Magazine
• OutLife (merged 2021)
• The Gay Men's Health Project (merged 2017)

Products and services

• HangOuts Peer Support Groups Structured online and in-person peer-support groups offering safe community spaces for LGBTQ+ people. Includes LGBTQ+ HangOuts, Trans+ HangOuts, South Asian HangOuts, 50+ HangOuts, and Forty & Beyond GBT Mens Group, plus Walking HangOuts in South West London.
• LGBTQ+ Forums Online community forums enabling discussion and peer support among LGBTQ+ individuals, with over 30,000 monthly visitors.
• Support Directories Searchable UK directories connecting users with services across HIV and Sexual Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Suicide Prevention, Sexual assault and consent, and Trans-specific support.
• LGBTQ+ Awareness Training Professional training programmes that help organisations become more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals, delivered as a paid service to enterprise and institutional buyers.
• Trans+ Sexual Wellbeing Workshops Specialised workshops focused on sexual health and wellbeing for trans and non-binary individuals, delivered as part of LGBT HERO's groupwork and community programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 680,000+ people supported through services in the past year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Royal Vauxhall TaverncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBT HERO partners with the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to organise the annual RVT Sports Day, held at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The partnership combines community event expertise and venue access to deliver LGBTQ+ community engagement events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stonewall (UK): Stonewall is the largest UK LGBTQ+ rights charity, campaigning for equality and providing workplace inclusion programmes. It is a direct peer with overlapping advocacy, training, and community engagement missions.
• Terrence Higgins Trust: Terrence Higgins Trust is a UK charity focused on HIV and sexual health, directly comparable to LGBT HERO's GMFA legacy and current sexual wellbeing programmes. It provides HIV testing, sexual health information, and support services for people living with HIV.
• MindOut: MindOut is a UK LGBTQ+ mental health charity offering online support, peer groups, and wellbeing services. It is a direct peer in the LGBTQ+ mental health and suicide prevention space served by LGBT HERO's HangOuts and directories.
• Switchboard LGBT+: Switchboard is a UK LGBTQ+ helpline providing listening, information, and support across identity, mental health, and sexual health. It is a direct peer to LGBT HERO's peer-support forums and helpline-style services.
• Galop: Galop is the UK LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity supporting victims of hate crime, domestic abuse, and sexual violence. It overlaps directly with LGBT HERO's abuse/hate crime support, sexual assault directory, and rights advocacy work.
• akt (formerly Albert Kennedy Trust): akt supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing homelessness or hostile home environments. It is a UK-focused direct peer in LGBTQ+ community support with a distinct but adjacent mission.

Emerging players

• Mermaids: Mermaids is a UK charity supporting trans and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families. It overlaps with LGBT HERO's Trans+ HangOuts, Trans Directory, and Trans+ Sexual Wellbeing programmes but focuses specifically on youth and family support.
• London Friend: London Friend is a UK LGBTQ+ charity offering counselling, support groups, and drug/alcohol recovery services. It is an emerging player with overlapping peer-support and wellbeing services comparable to LGBT HERO's HangOuts and mental health directory.

Broad incumbents

• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the largest US LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organisation. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping mission (mental health, crisis support, peer communities) but operates at much larger scale and US-only geography.

Regional players

• GLAAD: GLAAD is a US-based LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation accelerating acceptance through story-telling, campaigns, and cultural change work. It is comparable to LGBT HERO's advocacy and community campaigns but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lgbthero
• Facebookfacebook.com/lgbthero
• Instagraminstagram.com/lgbthero.org.uk
• TikToktiktok.com/@lgbthero

Compliance2 records

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 LGBT HERO