Ruben Goldsbrough
Wigan Pride!
Wigan's first ever LGBT Pride event was held on August 13th 2016. To celebrate diversity and the lives of local LGBT people in the Wigan borough. The event has been set up by BYOU, a Wigan based LGBT+ voice and engagement group for young people.
Unlike other prides this was completely put together by the young people who have brought in local businesses’ and
multi-agencies to make Wigan Pride 2016 a reality. Pride aims to bring the community together with live music, street entertainment and an array of stalls providing the town with information of local services accessible for inclusive support and advice in the Wigan borough.
The event has come about following after it was brought to attention that groups of young people where attending a number of other Prides because there own borough didn’t offer a Pride event.
So the young people sent out invites to an initial meeting requesting partnership support, including representatives from Wigan Council, Local CLLRS, Clinical Commissioning Group, Public Health, Greater Manchester Police, Wigan Athletic community trust, Trust in Leigh, The Old Courts CIC, Wigan And Leigh Housing, 5 Borough Partnership, Wigan Wrightington and Leigh NHS, Unison, Unite, Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles and others.
The young people were originally inspired to campaign for a Pride event in Wigan by Sir Ian McKellen when they had the opportunity to meet the man himself during his visit to Wigan last summer. Sir Ian commented on hearing the news recently “I am excited that Wigan is to have its own Pride event. I only wish such things had been possible when I was a school boy at the Grammar School in the 1950s”.
I worked Wigan pride within wigan youth zone along side with having the short film created by my animation club being featured within the event. which can be seen below.
Honestly i loved every second of it and i'm so happy to see a place like wigan being so accepting of something such as pride, Wigan is an up and coming town and within this its our job to teach the next generation how important pride is. I believe that this was achieved on this day