Black Cap Community
The Black Cap Community Benefit Society, normally called ‘Black Cap Community’, is a non-profit company created to hold campaign funds in a transparent and accountable way and to provide a vehicle for community ownership of the Black Cap.
A community benefit society is a type of company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and owned by its members on a democratic one-member-one-vote basis. It’s a common structure for community ownership of pubs and other businesses. Black Cap Community is registered with FCA number 8525. It was incorporated in 2020 to replace the campaign’s previous corporate vehicle, the Black Cap Foundation. Documents from Black Cap Community’s annual members’ meetings can be found here: 2021; 2022; 2023.
Black Cap Community is run on a day-to-day basis by an unpaid committee on behalf of its members. We are always keen to hear from people who would like to join the committee. We would especially like to improve committee representation of London’s diverse LGBTQ+ communities, particularly those who tend to get under-served or pushed to the edges, including women, trans people, people of colour, disabled people, and migrants. The Black Cap was always one of London’s most inclusive and diverse LGBTQ+ venues and that must continue when it re-opens.
For more about how to get involved with the committee or the campaign, go to How to help.
Meet our current committee:
Alex Green
Alex is the one with all the hats and a large vocal range, often seen and heard making a song and dance about the loss of the Black Cap and its historic importance to the LGBTQ+ and wider community. He is an entertainer, writer and producer, and an LGBTQ+ campaigner and activist. Lives in SE London but his heart is still in Camden, where he lived for 25 years.
Jamie Johnston
Jamie is the one who mostly stands outside the Black Cap handing out flyers. He also co-hosts the Black Cap Community Hub. Jamie is an education lawyer and lives in Camden.
Jamie Charles
JC is the second youngest of the committee and spent most of his late teens and twenties in the Cap.
He says: ‘I really got to know the real me and come out of my skin in there and not hide in the closet.’
Jonny Morrison
Jonny is the youngest member of the Black Cap Community committee. Combined with his role as a regular DJ and sound engineer in many of the best-known London LGBTQ+ venues he knows the audiences and many of the leading acts and promoters. This brings a vital current generational view to the work of the BCC committee.
Lazare Lazaro
Lazare is the one with fabulous colour coordination who brings his brilliant energy to keep the campaign fabulous. He is a former wunderkind – a ballet dancer with 4 master’s degrees in humanities, a text-aholic (journalist in different media, DJ, translator, interpreter, proofreader), a personal stylist, and maybe there were more. Now he is an avid Camdenite, tour guide in arts, and a mixologist.
James Barret
James is our most recent addition to the Black Cap Community committee.
He brings with him 25 years’ experience in running pubs & clubs. Having disabilities, he also brings his experience of the needs of disabled people to help guide and advise future developments.
He says ‘I am easy to spot in my wheelchair waving a banner proudly at Saturday vigils outside the Cap and other events – and am always happy to talk about the campaign or the share memories of my time at the Cap.’
Black Cap Community
Campaigning for Camden’s LGBTQ+ history and future.
A community benefit society regulated by the FCA, number 8525
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