COMMUNITY AT BANKHOUSE
We’re not just selling or renting out properties and saying goodbye, Tonic is involved in Bankhouse in the long term. Moving in is just the beginning and community is central to everything that we do. At Bankhouse, we’re co-creating events and activities with residents based on your own interests, wants and needs, including collaborations with other LGBT+ affirming organisations, arts charities and support providers.
We love celebrating our community and we often have events and parties to mark awareness days that mean a lot to us. This includes LGBT+ History Month, Honour our LGBT+ Elders Day, Lesbian Visibility Week, World AIDS Day and of course, Pride Month.
Since officially opening Bankhouse in Autumn 2021, we’ve held monthly Film Clubs (fresh popcorn included!), celebrated our resident-led, community space art update with a launch event, done arts programmes with CreateArts, a video project with QueerCircle. We have gone on many gallery visits, including TATE who offered our residents an exclusive early opportunity to go on their LGBTQIA+ Tour at TATE Britain. There’s also some keen gardeners who help work on the floating garden and roof terrace.
We often have special guests coming to have community discussions with the residents at Bankhouse. These include LGBT+ icons like Johannes Radebe, Peter Tatchell, John Whaite, Michael Cashman and Sue Sanders, as well as important community leaders such as Florence Eshalomi MP for Lambeth.
As well as scheduled events, we’re also looking at longer term programmes and services that you can get involved in, building a community that goes way beyond the walls of Bankhouse. If you are a community organisation, workshop provider, or would like to host an event or activity with Tonic, please contact us.
What is LGBT+ affirming?
This means that our approach to services and support is not just “LGBT+-friendly” but genuinely affirming of the lives, histories, needs and desires of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex people and all other identities in our community. The term does not imply exclusion of those who do not identify as LGBT+, but actively values those who respect and celebrate LGBT+ people.
All staff at Bankhouse have been trained on the Equality Act 2010 and in greater awareness of the lives and histories of older LGBT+ people, specifically in respect of the provision of care and support services by Opening Doors (now closed). Tonic will continue to arrange appropriate LGBT+ and associated training for all Bankhouse staff in future. Both staff and current residents alike are excited to welcome new residents and see the community flourish.
Community spaces
Bankhouse’s first floor is dedicated to communal spaces that are for all of the residents. We know how vital having spaces like this are, in building a thriving community. These spaces are perfect for hosting events, activities and clubs, to sit and have a drink with a friend and to enjoy the fresh air and gorgeous sunsets.
The spaces at Bankhouse are an on-site restaurant, a bar, a library, a large community lounge with a balcony overlooking the River Thames and a wonderful floating garden. There is also a roof terrace with stunning views of central London.
Amenities on-site include a spa room, bike storage, a launderette, an overnight guest suite for visitors and guest parking. All areas are fully accessible to wheelchair users.
Bankhouse has 24 hour on site staff and optional care packages are available. On-site services can be found here.
Resident Events at Tonic@Bankhouse
Since our first resident moved into Tonic@Bankhouse back in December 2021, we have facilitated many different activities and events and have many more to come!
Here are just an example of the community, resident-led events at Bankhouse, many with LGBT+ affirming themes and celebration:
Tonic Bar
The Tonic team and volunteers run the bar at Tonic@Bankhouse on Thursday nights, which most residents come along to, to grab a drink (or two!), catch up and just spend some time with their friends and neighbours. We also often have visitors to the bar, for conversations, quizzes and other exciting events. Most recently this includes, Lloyds Bank, Financial Times and London School of Architects.
For our launch of the Thursday night bar opening, we had the lovely, James Lenton, from Draw Yourself, come and join us for a portrait drawing workshop, which all of the residents enjoyed and got some gorgeous artwork from the evening too!
CREATE:IN TONIC@BANKHOUSE
CreateArts and Tonic have so-far run two, 6-week programmes for our residents to experiment with visual art, exploring many themes including Pride and Home. Each Wednesday afternoon residents met in the community space and worked on projects including ceramics, collages, printing, shibori, sewing and jewellery making.
Create are the UK’s leading charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Unleashing creativity ignites imaginations, develops confidence and builds relationships. We believe that everyone – regardless of circumstances, sexuality, age, gender, race or disability, should have access to the power of creativity.
Bankhouse Movie Club
Run monthly by Tonic in the community lounge space at Bankhouse. We show resident voted film choices, as well as films with LGBT+ themes and stories. We set the lounge up cinema style and make fresh popcorn before the film starts! A few of our favourite picks:
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Bohemian Rhapsody, Pride Month Special, showing PRIDE, Halloween Special, showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Barbie and Carol.
LGBT+ History Month 2022 Art Event
We were thrilled to be able to celebrate our very first LGBT+ History Month at Bankhouse in February 2022 with our new residents. To mark the occasion, we launched our new art collection in the community spaces, unveiling 11 new pieces of art, with an evening of wonderful chat and delicious drinks. Selected by residents, the colourful artworks from Enter Gallery bring new life into the lounge, dining room and newly revamped LGBT+ affirming library.
