Pride in Diversity Archives - The Stray Ferret

New LGBTQIA+ event planned as Harrogate Pride cancelled again

Harrogate Pride in Diversity has been cancelled again, with the organisers once more citing a lack of volunteers.

The event, which started with a parade through town followed by live music and entertainment in Valley Gardens, drew crowds of up to 26,000.

But it has not been held since 2019, and the latest cancellation after covid has led to an attempt to set-up a new event over the August bank holiday.

Harrogate Pride in Diversity posted on its Facebook page:

“We are so proud of all we have done together in the last few years, but recently life has gotten in the way. Our committee has become smaller, and our lives have become busier.

“We are taking a break from Pride in Diversity. Not forever, but for a little while.

“There will be no Pride in Diversity event this year, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be back.”

The news prompted Craig Joynson and his wife Rea to start planning a free August event with a view to growing the LGBTQIA+ scene in Harrogate. They have set up their own Harrogate Pride Events Facebook page.

The event in 2019 in Valley Gardens

Mr Joynson said the local LGBTQIA+ community was currently under-served, adding:

“I am looking to provide some form of not-for-profit Pride event over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Not a full on Pride parade — hopefully that’ll be next year — but a social event of some kind.”

Mr Joynson, a former DJ, added he had a venue and DJs lined up and he hoped it could lead to regular monthly events for LGBTQIA+ people and perhaps the return of a Pride march next year.

Harrogate Pride in Diversity cancelled as volunteers sought for 2023

Harrogate’s Pride in Diversity will not take place this year because of a lack of volunteers to make it possible.

Last held in 2019, the event has traditionally begun with a parade through the town centre led by an open-top bus.

It then featured a festival of live music, entertainment and stalls in the Valley Gardens, drawing crowds of up to 26,000 people.

Secretary Poppy Winks said they had considered holding a smaller event, but decided it would be better to focus on delivering a full-scale occasion in 2023.

She said:

“The plan is it will be the same as pre-pandemic. It’s a joyful day: people being together and celebrating who they are, whoever that is.

“To have that space in our town is really important. It’s a really unapologetic event; everybody is there for a reason and it doesn’t matter what that reason is.”

People of all genders, sexualities, ages and races came together for the celebration in 2019.

The cancellation this year means the event will have had a four-year break by the time it returns, having missed two years because of the covid pandemic.

Ms Winks said while there used to be a strong group of volunteers, many had moved on or started volunteering elsewhere.

The remaining team decided to announce their reasons for calling off this year’s event, and it has paid off with a number of individuals and organisations come forward with offers of support. Ms Winks added:

“It was not an easy decision, but being honest about our reasons for cancelling has made people think, ‘this is an event we like and we want to come forward and help make it happen’.

“The beauty is that now we have grown enough that we’re well-known and organisations like the theatre and the Victoria Shopping Centre have said they want to support us.”

Anyone interested in helping to organise next year’s event can contact Harrogate Pride in Diversity via its website.

Harrogate Library to launch Lego club for children with autism and disabilities

Pride in Diversity is helping Harrogate Library set up a Lego club for children with autism and disabilities and it is asking the public to donate Lego.

Lego has been found to be beneficial to children on the autism spectrum as it can help them build an interest in something they can share with their other children.

Lego that is either new in a box or sets that have been used can be donated. For used sets, they need to be complete and include the instructions.

Lego can be dropped off at the library on Victoria Avenue with a note for ‘Laura Hellfeld, Pride in Diversity’.

Ms Hellfield said:

“I have been now working with the staff at Harrogate Library for a few years in creating inclusive events. The staff have always been kind and welcoming and very keen to increase programmes that benefit everyone in Harrogate.”

The Lego club will likely be starting in the new school term after Christmas.

Exhibition brings Harrogate’s LGBTQ+ stories to the forefront

Pride in Diversity launched its Speaking Out exhibition last night, which gives a voice to Harrogate’s LGBTQ+ community.

The project has been in the works since 2019 and includes oral history recordings, loaned objects and photographs.

But rather than presenting the exhibition in the form of a sterile gallery, it has been designed to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes and start conversations. The displays include a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to listen to human voices.

Pride in Diversity’s chair Leonora Wassell was delighted to see the exhibition, which had to be paused due to covid, finally launch at Cold Bath Brewing Co on Kings Road. It will move between locations in Harrogate,

Last night’s launch coincided with National Coming Out Day and Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Rev Wassell said:

“We are speaking out about who we are.

“People who commit hate crimes are bullies and cowards. That’s why we’ve come out with these stories. We disempower them. If we stand together our bullies go away.”

Leonora Wassell

Harrogate Museums is a partner on the project. Karen Southworth, a curator at the museum, said it was important to document the voices of a community that has been marginalised in Harrogate.

The museum is in the Royal Pump Rooms and is operated by Harrogate Borough Council.

Ms Southworth said:

“These stories were completely absent in the museum. But we’re now living through a revolution for representation.”

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, also attended the launch. She said:

“We have supported the LGBT community since the start. We are out there for our community and we are proud to be here.”

Matt Walker and Cllr Pat Marsh.

The exhibition will go on display in the Victoria Shopping Centre from Friday for one week before it moves to Harrogate Library and then Geek Retreat on Oxford Street.

If you’d like the exhibition to be featured in your space, email pid.hg1@outlook.com

Pressure mounts on Philip Allott as LGBTQ+ group withdraws invite

Harrogate LGBTQ+ non-profit organisation Pride in Diversity has withdrawn an invitation to North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott to the launch of an art event next week.

Mr Allott was due to attend a Speaking Out exhibition at Cold Bath Brewing Co on King’s Road on Monday evening. The exhibition explores the experiences of Harrogate’s LGBTQ+ community through oral history recordings, objects and photographs.

But following Mr Allott’s comments on BBC Radio York about the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met Police officer, Leonora Wassell, chair of Pride in Diversity, told the Stray Ferret she has asked him to stay away from the event.

In the interview, Mr Allott said women “need to be streetwise” and that Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest. He has since apologised.

Ms Wassell said she was “disappointed and appalled” by his comments.

She said:

“Pride in Diversity has valued the work of the North Yorkshire Police and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and are grateful for the funding towards our Speaking Out project from the office.

“We have worked hard to foster a good working relationship and wish to acknowledge the tireless work of NYP to break down barriers and work within marginalised communities.

“However, the recent comments by Mr Allott has left us both disappointed and appalled at the attitude expressed by him. Despite him retracting his statement we believe untold damage has been done to this hard work.

“We remain committed to working closely with NYP and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner but feel unable to work with Mr Allott.”

The Harrogate & District Law Society committee’s also released a statement this morning that said trust in Mr Allott has been “irretrievably lost” and he should resign.

Yesterday Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce revealed it has withdrawn an invitation for the Conservative commissioner to speak at its November meeting.

90 complaints to crime panel

North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel, which holds the commissioner to account, is due to meet on Thursday next week and Mr Allott’s comments will be on the agenda. The meeting will begin at 10.30am and will be available to watch online via North Yorkshire County Council’s website.

A report reveals the panel has had 90 complaints from members of the public about Mr Allott’s BBC interview.

At a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council last night, Conservative council leader Richard Cooper condemned Mr Allott’s comments.

Cllr Cooper said:

“[He needs to] think about what is best for the organisation he leads and best for the safety of women and girls.”

Harrogate’s Geek Retreat to create autism-friendly space

Local not-for-profit organisation Pride in Diversity has teamed up with Harrogate shop Geek Retreat to create an inclusive space for people with autism.

Geek Retreat describes itself as a ‘geek culture’ venue that specialises in items such as comics, trading card games, board games and video games.

It recently opened a branch on Oxford Street in the unit that housed the Early Learning Centre for years.

Pride in Diversity, which promotes diversity, will train Geek Retreat staff about how to ensure autistic people have a positive time whilst visiting.

It will also build a stim kit to help relieve tension for autistic people and an autism-inclusive activity time will take place on Sundays along with LGBTQIA evenings on Tuesdays.

Geek Retreat will host art from Pride in Diversity’s Speaking Out campaign, which includes oral history recordings, objects and photographs from Harrogate’s LGBTQIA community.

Laura Hellfield, a director at Pride in Diversity, said:

“The partnership between us at Pride in Diversity and Geek Retreat was a quick decision as we share a vision of creating inclusive and accepting spaces. Soon we will be launching an Autism Inclusive session on Sundays. Inclusive sessions let those in the Autistic community know that they matter and deserve a place to enjoy and that has been adjusted to meet their needs.

“These sessions will be incredibly valuable for those coming to make like-minded friendships and to simply have fun while crafting and playing board games together.”

Charity Corner: Harrogate charity says ‘it’s all about inclusivity’

Pride In Diversity is a Harrogate-based charity doing all it can to give everyone from all sexualities, genders and races a safe space to talk and feel supported.

During Pride Month the Stray Ferret wanted to feature a charity doing all it can to celebrate the diversity in Harrogate.

The charity was set up by founder Leonora Wassall following the Orlando shooting in 2016 to accept and include everyone across all groups.

Leonora said as a lesbian she was “fed up of not feeling accepted” and wanted to set up a charity to raise awareness of issues concerning identity and diversity.

The charity’s tagline is ‘dignity, respect and inclusion’.

Leonora is a Methodist minister in Pool-in-Wharfed-ale.

She said:

“I kept my identity quiet for 25 years but now I want to offer a safe space for anyone that needs it in Harrogate. We want to do lots more as we come out of covid, we have lots of ideas but it’s just about waiting until it is safe.”

The charity’s pride parade in 2019.

Prior to the pandemic the charity would host a pride parade setting off from the top of Montpellier Parade to Valley Gardens. Hundreds of people would walk together with representatives from various schools, groups and emergency services.

The trustees are currently working on a local campaign to coincide with Hate Crime Awareness Week in October. For two days of that month the charity will be based in Victoria Shopping Centre as well as holding other events in the town across the month.

It also works with Harrogate library to increase its accessibility and offer events suited to children of all abilities.

She said:

“Our pride is not just an event on the day we work through the year to support the community.”

People of all genders, sexualities, ages and races came together for the celebration in 2019.

The charity is setting up monthly socials to begin in August. They will be based in a Harrogate bar and give people the space to chat and share experiences.

Leonora and the other trustees are looking forward to events later this year and the pride parade on June 19, 2022.

To find out more about the charity, click here.

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90 complaints to crime panel

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