Our story

Built to last.
Owned by the people
who use it.

Lusthaven began as a simple question: what would it look like if queer people built something for ourselves — something that didn't disappear at the end of the night, that wasn't shaped by landlords, and that held room for connection, intimacy, and community in equal measure?
This is our attempt at an answer.

The idea

How we got here

The founding team met through a shared desire to build queer, sex‑positive community — not just for a night, but for something that stays. We created temporary spaces, hosted gatherings, and watched something form around us. At some point, the dream shifted: what if this could be permanent?

Across Europe, there are very few places where queer sex‑positive communities can gather with real dignity, real privacy, and real intention. City venues create connection, but only briefly — limited by noise, neighbours, and the economics of nightlife. We wanted to build something that could hold people for longer. A place where relationships, creativity, and care could unfold over days, not hours.

This project is that attempt: a place for deep connection, shared stewardship, and queer joy — built to last.

The space

The property

🏛 Protected monument — Onroerend Erfgoed 2779 & 2780

Our target property is Het Kasteel van Velm, a historic estate in Flanders built in the 1780s. Heritage salons, wings for workshops and smaller gatherings, a chapel, a vaulted basement — the site has the infrastructure to host the kind of programming our community has been dreaming of, within a protected monument and its surrounding parkland.

We chose this estate because it offers something genuinely rare: the space, privacy, and infrastructure to host multi‑day queer and sex‑positive gatherings without compromise. The heritage salons work for intimate workshops and rituals; the chapel and basement hold larger events; the on‑site accommodation means people can stay, rest, and connect across several days. The grounds provide privacy and calm — essential for the kind of community we're building.

Location

Sint‑Truiden, Flanders, Belgium

Heritage status

Protected monument since 1984

Grounds

6.4 hectares of parkland and farmyard

Why here

Why Belgium? Why Flanders?

Belgium is one of the more quietly progressive countries in Europe, and a genuinely good place to build something like this. Its cooperative legal framework is robust, its heritage protections are serious, and its central location makes it reachable by high-speed rail from the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK.

Flanders — Limburg in particular — offers the space and privacy needed for multi‑day queer and sex‑positive programming. Something that is simply not possible in a major city. The region is well-connected, welcoming, and has a long tradition of cultural and community projects.

How we're structured

Member‑owned and community‑run

Lusthaven is built on two legal bodies working in tandem. The cooperative owns and stewards the property — a long‑term commitment shared by its members. The association runs the programming, hospitality, and day‑to‑day life of the community. Both are democratic. Both are non‑profit. Both exist to serve the people who use the space.

The Cooperative

The Haven Collective SC/CV

The cooperative company that owns the property. Members work toward shares through participation, not capital — one member, one vote. The cooperative holds the community loans, leases the estate to Lusthaven, and is governed through regular assemblies and reserved matters.

The Association

Lusthaven VZW/ASBL

The non‑profit association that operates the venue: events, hospitality, community programming, and daily management. Any surplus is reinvested. Lusthaven pays rent to the cooperative and is accountable to both its own members and the cooperative's oversight.

The people

The founding team

Seven people with the skills — and the stubbornness — to build something this ambitious. What we share is a belief that queer community deserves permanence, beauty, and care.

Teddy Glover
Teddy Glover
Events & Infrastructure

Teddy has spent years building queer, sex‑positive events that centre care, creativity, and consent — making spaces that feel both safe and alive. They bring the vision for what our programming can be, and the practical experience to make it real in a permanent home.

Felix Faust
Felix Faust
Operations & Hospitality

Felix is an experienced venue and hospitality operator with a talent for making complex spaces feel effortless. He brings deep operational knowledge, a calm hand in the chaos of events, and a genuine commitment to environments where people feel held enough to be themselves.

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Join us

Help make the dream
a reality.

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