Six years on: Open Table continues to grow, change lives and keep the table open
People from across the Open Table Network take part in a creative activity during filming for OTN's new short film Find your place at the table. READ MORE & WATCH HERE.
OCTOBER 1st marks six years since Kieran Bohan began working full-time for the Open Table Network (OTN), and three years since he became the charity's first Director.
Thanks to the success of OTN's first major funding bid, Kieran began a six-month contract on 1st October 2020, to help Open Table communities respond to the coronavirus crisis, increase peer support for LGBTQIA+ Christians and raise OTN's online presence to reach more isolated LGBTQIA+ people.
Further grants, donations and fundraising have enabled Kieran to continue in the role ever since. In October 2024 he reduced to 21 hours a week while training for ordination in the Methodist Church.
As no anniversary update was published last year, this year's update looks back over the last two years - a period which has seen OTN continue to grow, develop its national infrastructure, demonstrate its impact through new research, and face one of its biggest financial challenges.
During the last 24 months, OTN has:
supported seven new Open Table communities to launch, extending the network's reach across England and Wales further than ever.
supported existing communities through periods of change, including the relaunch of Open Table Warrington - the first community to be established outside Liverpool - following a change of leadership and a period of uncertainty.
engaged with 29 churches exploring whether they could host an Open Table community, and hosted consultations with six more.
published our Annual Reports for 2024 and 2025, documenting the continuing growth and impact of the network. By the end of 2025, 38 active communities were meeting across the UK, with 839 new people connecting with Open Table communities in person during the year and around 740 people engaging each month.
celebrated the contribution of hundreds of volunteers. In 2025, 399 volunteers supported the 38 communities OTN worked with during the year, 133 of them for the first time. Together they gave around 4,000 hours a month - a 10% increase since 2024.
re-commissioned independent research into the impact of Open Table communities, five years after the first research was published in 2021. The new research found that 94% of respondents said being part of an Open Table community had improved their wellbeing, 84% said it had significantly reduced their feelings of isolation, and 73% said it made them feel safe.
celebrated five years since OTN became a registered charity, marking the moment when a growing partnership of LGBTQIA+ affirming Christian communities gained a new foundation and new possibilities for the future.
strengthened the charity's governance, welcoming more trustees than ever. Since April 2026, OTN has had ten trustees – the largest board since becoming a charity in 2021.
welcomed a new volunteer Treasurer and freelance Funding & Governance Advisor, strengthening our financial, governance and fundraising capacity.
moved OTN's registered office to Liverpool Parish Church, providing additional space for the charity's developing leadership and for regional and national gatherings.
continued to work with partner organisations such as Inclusive Church, the Greenbelt festival, Quest, St Beuno's Spirituality Centre, and the Methodist and United Reformed churches nationally, creating opportunities for LGBTQIA+ Christians to connect, worship, reflect and explore their faith.
continued to share the stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people of faith through our website, This Is My Story podcast, blogs and social media, including contributions from LGBTQIA+ Christians in Brazil and Uganda.
celebrated Open Table's 18th birthday in 2026, marking the growth from six people gathering in Liverpool in 2008 to a national network of almost 40 communities.
produced our new short film, Find your place at the table, bringing together voices from across the network to share what Open Table communities mean to them and what would be missing if they did not exist.
continued to speak up for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, including joining the Ban Conversion Practices Coalition and responding to developments affecting trans, non-binary and intersex people.
raised £11,785 through the 2025 Big Give Christmas Challenge, exceeding our £10,000 target and doubling the impact of donations through match funding.
launched an emergency #SaveOTN appeal in July 2026 after the end of a three-year national church grant left the charity facing a significant funding shortfall. Thanks to an extraordinary response from supporters, the campaign raised more than £17,000 through Crowdfunder and direct donations, with a further £5,000 grant from Dignity & Worth.
OTN Director Kieran Bohan said:
‘Six years ago, I started working full-time for OTN on what was originally a six-month contract. I don't think any of us could have imagined then just how far the network would grow, or how many people would find belonging through Open Table communities.
‘On behalf of the trustees, I want to thank our community leaders, volunteers, members, supporters, donors, funders and partners for everything they do to make Open Table possible.’
IF YOU VALUE the Open Table Network, here's how you can support us.
The #SaveOTN appeal has given the charity valuable breathing space, but longer-term funding is still needed to ensure OTN can continue providing national support for communities, leaders and volunteers, while helping new communities to develop.
