Clara Murray Wise Thoughts celebrating Haringey Pride in 2019. - Credit: Wise Thoughts A new befriending service is helping LGBT+ people in Highgate, Muswell Hill and Crouch End overcome loneliness and social isolation. Volunteers for Haringey charity Wise Thoughts, which aim to create safe spaces for all ages, are matched with people who have signed up for regular, informal chats over the phone. Cesar Teixeira, who is co-ordinating the program for the charity, told the Ham&High “feeling socially isolated from the community was becoming quite a problem” among LGBT+ people during the pandemic. “The vast majority of people who use our services are in social situations at home that aren t necessarily the most welcoming or supportive of their sexuality or their gender identity,” he said, adding that many are cut off from regular social spaces and their chosen family.