A new lesbian pub in Camberwell has received more than £50,000 in donations to refurbish the venue.
Perfectly placed on the corner of Rainbow Street, Dorothy’s is set to be the third dedicated lesbian venue in London, following support from the community.
Taking over the former St George’s Tavern, the 171-year-old property required serious work before Dorothy’s was ready to open.
Renovations included a complete re-wiring of the building, replacing rotten floor joists and installing a fully accessible toilet.
“Ever since COVID, I’ve dreamed of opening a pub,” said Dorothy’s co-founder Molly McCabe.
In May, Molly and her partner Beth White made that dream a reality.
“We really wanted to bring South London a permanent sapphic space,” said Beth. “As customers, we wanted somewhere we can go to locally. So, we decided to create it.”
Since setting up their Crowdfunder in June, Molly and Beth quickly surpassed their £20,000 goal and have received close to £55,000 from more than 1,200 donors.
The support hasn’t stopped there: to help with the refurbishment, Molly and Beth hosted multiple volunteer days where up to 25 locals joined each time to lend a hand.
“Having those days makes you realise how important a space like this is,” said Beth.
“We want people to feel like they’re a part of our journey. We liked the idea of being sat in the pub with your friends and being able to say ‘I built this table’.”
In-keeping with the building’s history, the venue will preserve the original St George’s Tavern moniker, with ‘Dorothy’s’ painted just above pub’s main entrance.
The name is a nod to the entry password to the historic Gateways Club, a lesbian club in Chelsea which shut down in 1985.
“We wanted to take what was once a secret word to get in and put it over the front door,” explained Molly.
“In this day and age, with so many people’s rights being taken away, we want to be proud about saying ‘this is what we are and this is the space that we’re creating’.”
Amy Hough, founder of community group Lez Hang Out shared the anticipation amongst London’s sapphic community.
Hough said: “The fact that people have been able to see the journey, that’s what makes it exciting.
“Having this space that’s going to be permanent – it’s incredible, it’s a blessing and it’s something that no one should take for granted.”
Nat Binns, founder of South East Sapphics, echoed the importance of having dedicated lesbian spaces in London:
Binns said: “A lot of queer spaces say they’re inclusive but mostly cater to gay men’s interests. We have our own culture which we want to celebrate – we deserve to be centred too!
“I think it’s really important for new venues to be as accessible as possible. They should aim to be inclusive to the whole community, not just appealing to one demographic.”
This is an area in which Dorothy’s promises to deliver. Alongside classic pub events such as quizzes and karaoke, Molly and Beth hope to create a cosy, accessible haven for sapphics of all ages and backgrounds.
Their planned events include queer parents’ groups, supper clubs and hobby-based events such as book groups and knitting clubs.
“We do want the venue to be more than just a pub in that regard,” said Beth. “We just want it to be as inclusive as possible – it’s a space for people to feel safe in.”
While refurbishment is still ongoing, Molly and Beth plan to open Dorothy’s doors towards the end of November.
Featured image credit: Klara Ferraioli-Schubert
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