London’s largest LGBTQ+ badminton club celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend with a tournament featuring players from around the world, neLondoner reported. Goslings badminton club hosted the London International at Redbridge Leisure Centre over the weekend of October 16, drawing participants from approximately 40 different clubs, including groups traveling from as far as Stockholm.
Half a Century of Community at Redbridge Leisure Centre
The tournament showcased a high level of competitive play and stands as one of three annual tournaments hosted by the club for its membership of over 300 players alongside visiting delegations. Tracing its origins back to 1976, the organization originally launched in High Holborn as a swimming club under the name “Gay Outdoor Swimming London-ings.” A series of public pool double-bookings left the group without lane space, prompting members to pick up badminton instead.
Co-chair Oliver Parsons, 40, emphasized the organization's enduring role as social norms changed. “Goslings has been there through the difficult periods,” Parsons said. “It’s been there when progress has been made and we’re going to be there for another 50 years, providing that safe space for the LGBT+ community.”
Goslings Adapts Safe Spaces for Queer Minorities
As one of the capital's oldest athletic clubs of its kind, Goslings has managed substantial shifts in legal rights and public attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community. Azeem Ahmad, 55, one of the club’s longest-serving members, noted that the internal focus of the organization has adapted accordingly over the decades.
“I think previously it was just about trying to create a safe space for queer people, but as time has gone on, where it’s been safer to be queer, what I found is that the minorities within the queer space are the ones that actually need a safe space and the club has recognised that,” Ahmad said. He added that the depth of interpersonal connections sustains the club well beyond standard social boundaries, noting that friendships formed within the ranks last for years.
Leadership Aims to Increase Female Participation
Current leadership has placed diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of club operations. Parsons and co-chair Nick Fursman, 50, assumed their roles earlier this year with a mandate to reevaluate what the club represents for both newcomers and established participants.
“We’ve got a lot of members that are new to the UK and we get people that have been here for decades, so we want to make sure that everyone has that safe space and feels part of our community,” Parsons said. He acknowledged that the organization remains male-heavy, setting a strategic goal to increase female participation across the board. Fursman reinforced this direction, stating that leadership aims to ensure current members enjoy the same welcoming opportunities founders encountered decades ago.
Volunteers Coordinate International Tournament Travel
While community building remains central, the athletic standard on the court remains a primary focus. Tournament lead Matt Towner spent eight months organizing the London International, an event fitting into an international circuit of roughly 20 to 30 tournaments in which Goslings members participate throughout the year. Towner coordinates travel for players heading to competitions in Germany, France, Denmark, and Malaysia.
Operating entirely through unpaid labor, the club relies on an extensive network of volunteers. “It’s all voluntary work, and people have put in a lot of time,” Parsons said. In addition to competitive fixtures, volunteers run five weekly playing sessions across London alongside pub socials, board game nights, and organized country walks.
For newer participants like Abhishek Kulkarni, who joined less than a year ago, the impact extends directly to personal well-being. “I came here not knowing anyone and within less than a year have made some really good friends,” Kulkarni said. “Playing badminton at this club is one way for you to remain present, so as well as physical health, this club helped me a lot with my mental health.”
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