We are so excited for the return of Bracknell Forest Pride! This year promises to be a bigger and more colourful event than ever.
Pride promises to be fun, inclusive and family-friendly. We have organised it working alongside:
- The Lexicon
- Bracknell Town Council
- local community groups
We aim to support and celebrate our diverse LGBTQIA+ community with a day focused on love, friendship and welcoming.
This will be an unmissable day for all, with:
- food stalls
- live music
- entertainment
- family-fun
- a buzzing atmosphere
Join us for Bracknell Forest Pride
When: Saturday 18 July from 12:15pm to 5pm
Where: Bond Square, the Lexicon (between Marks and Spencer and Waitrose)
Ticketing
Bracknell Forest Pride is free to enter and not ticketed. Everyone is welcome!
Parade
There will be an accessible parade around The Lexicon and everyone is welcome to join in. The parade will be led by the South London Samba Band and start at 12:15pm from outside East Hampstead Works. It will proceed through the town before finishing in Bond Square.
The parade will follow a flat route. It is step-free, fully accessible and disability friendly.
The event can be accessed on foot, by ramp and a lift.
Programme of events
You can catch fabulous performances throughout the afternoon. The event is being hosted by Fonda, Bracknell Forest’s resident queen! The lineup of acts is:
- 12:40pm to 1:15pm: Ella Bish
- 1:20pm to 2pm: Dani Harmer Academy
- 2:10pm to 2:50pm: Take a Chance on Queen
- 3pm to 3:50pm: JBMAC DJ live act
- 4pm to 5pm: SPICE: The Tribute
Timings are subject to change. You can read the full list of musical acts on The Lexicon's Pride webpage.
As well as enjoying fantastic music, attendees can:
- get their face painted
- enjoy good food
- join in with the party atmosphere
Prices apply at food and drink stalls.
Support and advice organisations
A range of organisations will be at Bracknell Forest Pride. They are there to offer advice, resources and provide a friendly space to talk.
As a social landlord, Abri are committed to creating strong, thriving communities – all of which are at the heart of our new developments.
As it takes a more land-led approach to development, Abri has greater opportunities to work closely with local people and shape places that reflect the needs and character of each area.
This strategy is underpinned by a strong corporate commitment to invest in their communities. Abri bring expertise, experience, drive and pride to their mission, building partnerships that will promote lasting community resilience and improved life-chances.
The recruitment team can help you to imagine a career with Berkshire Healthcare. They offer a wide range of opportunities across Berkshire, from entry level and non-clinical roles to experienced healthcare positions.
From your first step into the NHS to your next career move, they’ll support you to find a role where you can learn, grow and make a real difference. Talk to them to discover how you can build a rewarding career.
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust are proud to champion LGBTQIA+ inclusion across their services and workforce. The EDI team leads on creating a safe, welcoming environment for all. They have a strong focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ staff, service users and communities.
The EDI team is committed to making equality a lived reality. Come and talk to them to learn about how they are building a more inclusive NHS.
Bracknell Forest Council Fostering is the council's not-for-profit fostering service in Berkshire. Their foster carers help change children’s lives who can no longer live with their birth family.
The Happiness Hub is a collaboration of community-based services. They aim to improve access to mental health support for people who want to make positive changes in their lives.
The Welcome Spaces project has been set up to encourage community connection and friendship across Bracknell Forest. They select local activities for people to attend with no need to book. They aim for these sessions to be welcoming and easy to access.
BFCCA is a local charity which aims to represent everyone who lives in, works in and visits the borough. Its mission is to engage the community with climate change. It encourages everyone to take action to mitigate and adapt to its impacts in the local area.
You can join the BFCCA and volunteer to get involved on its website.
Bracknell LGBTQ+ is Bracknell Forest's own Facebook youth group. It is a safe space in the online world for those seeking solidarity.
Bracknell Parish represents 2 Church of England congregations in the area: Holy Trinity and Mosaic.
Both churches welcome people within the LGBTQ+ community. Come and talk with them to find out more.
Add your own touch to our community art project!
This community canvas will be hung in the community space at Bracknell Forest Council, and will be a visual reminder of hope, resilience and tolerance. Come along and make your mark!
CAMHS provides a specialist mental health service for children and young people.
Come and meet the team to find out more about mental health and emotional wellbeing support available for children and young people aged 5 to 17.
This includes the Getting Help Team, which works in the community, and the Mental Health Support Team, which is based in schools.
The Frimley Health NHS foundation trust supports your health across the borough. They have locations at Wrexham Park, Frimley Park and Heatherwood. Find out more at Frimley Health.
Involve Community Services is a small, local charity which supports the voluntary and community sector in Wokingham Borough, Bracknell Forest and the surrounding areas. They help other charities to develop and grow by providing support services for organisations. They also provide various community wellbeing schemes.
Involve aim to support causes that benefit the community. They provide charities with important information, support and advice.
Maystar Travel is a member of Independent Travel Experts, an independent travel advisor with expertise in LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations.
For any bookings made over the value of £1,000, £50 will be donated to a local charity of choice that supports the LGBTQIA+ community.
Samaritans is a charity that prevents suicide through the power of human connection. They connect people in crisis with trained volunteers who will always listen.
South Hill Park is the centre of the arts in Berkshire. Within the grounds of an 18th century mansion house in Bracknell, it has:
- 2 theatres
- a dance studio
- creative spaces
- a cinema
South Hill Park hosts over 300 shows, events and films each year. It also features a busy programme of over 250 courses and workshops.
They will be talking about opportunities to get involved with the arts.
The Thames Valley Police team will be at the event to talk about consent and what it means to you. We have all heard that consent is like a cup of tea, but real life is rarely that clear-cut. The team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
The Garden Clinic is a specialist NHS sexual health service based in Slough. It serves the wider East Berkshire area and has a satellite clinic in Bracknell.
It offers confidential, non-judgmental and free care for everyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality or background.
Youthline provides a free, confidential counselling service for young people from secondary school age to 25. They also provide a low-cost counselling service to adults aged over 26 who care for and support young people.
They offer humanistic, client-centred counselling:
- in person
- online
- by telephone
About Pride
Pride is an annual celebration of LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or sometimes questioning), intersex, asexual, and others) communities all around the world.
LGBTQIA+ people still face unacceptable stigma and discrimination just simply for being themselves. We continue to see homophobia, biphobia and transphobia today. Pride recognises LGBTQIA+ people, their history and their fight for equality. Pride month is marked around the world to promote acceptance and the right to be yourself.
More information on Pride is available on the BBC’s website.
Celebrating Pride
Pride raises awareness of important topics like inclusion and LGBTQIA+ rights. Pride began after the 1969 Stonewall riots. The Stonewall riots were important protests that took place in 1969 in the USA. They changed gay rights for a lot of people in America and around the world.
The first Pride marches started the following year, on 28 June 1970, to commemorate the multiday riot. These one-day celebrations eventually evolved into a full month.
Today, Pride helps to create safe spaces, build support, and remind us that there is still work to do. It is a deeply meaningful and moving time which holds great significance for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The importance of Bracknell Forest Pride
Pride helps everyone to feel welcome and valued in their community. Events like our Pride parade bring people together, raises awareness and show that our town supports equality.
Celebrating Pride makes our community stronger and more inclusive for everyone.
More information
Pet policy
Dogs are welcome on site. However, the event can be noisy and there is limited shelter, so discretion is advised.
Children welcome
Children are welcome. This is a family-friendly event, but we do ask that young children be always supervised.
Dress code
This is an outdoor event, so please dress appropriately for the weather conditions.
Parking
There are several car parks, including those with accessible parking spaces, within easy reach of Bond Square. Find out more information about car parking.
Public transport
The Lexicon is easily reached on all forms of public transport. Once you are in The Lexicon, head towards The Avenue or Eagle Lane, and you will be able to follow the music from there!
If you are coming by taxi, the closest drop-off point is at Waitrose.
Photography
We will have a photographer and a videographer on-site to take photos and film the event. These photos will be used for communications and marketing purposes by Bracknell Forest Council, The Lexicon and other partners involved in running the event. There will be photo release forms available on the day should these be needed.
Thank you to our supporters
Bracknell Forest Council, along with local community groups and support organisations, have collaborated to create a fun, inclusive, and family-friendly event.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has dedicated their time and energy to support this event.
Special thanks to our lead sponsor, Bracknell Town Council, and our event partner and lead sponsor, The Lexicon, for their generous support.
We’d also like to thank Abri Community Fund and Winkfield Parish Council for their contribution in bringing this community event together.