A vibrant new community space has opened its doors at Sandown station on Island Line, as not-for-profit organisation Queer and Now officially launches as a dedicated venue for members of the Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ community.

Occupying the previously closed café at the station, Queer and Now has transformed the space into an inclusive venue offering events, activities and a welcoming environment for local queer folk, relatives and friends.

Before the letting completed, the premises were cleared and prepared through a joint effort between the South Western Railway Estates team and Ian Chalmers from Amey, who volunteered their time as part of SWR and Amey’s Social Impact Days initiative. The clean‑up enabled the community group to move in quickly and begin shaping the venue to their needs.

Since opening, Dorothy’s dedicated volunteers have hosted events and gatherings, supporting creativity, social connection, and wellbeing across the local community in addition to their regular opening every Friday and Saturday evening. This project reflects SWR’s ongoing commitment to supporting social value and nurturing community‑led uses of railway property across the network.

Joe Lee, Co-Founder of Q&N and Creative Lead for Dorothy’s said: After two years of relying on the goodwill of our partner venues to host events/gatherings, we now have a home of our own to continue our mission and provide a safe, unapologetic space thanks to the wonderful generosity of our amazing friends at SWR and Amey :o)

Queer and Now’s arrival marks another example of how underutilised railway spaces can be reimagined to deliver meaningful benefits for local people, while enhancing the character and vibrancy of Island Line stations.