Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion with Stockport Pride

29/05/2025

Stockport Pride is a vibrant one-day festival held every year in Stockport Town Centre, embracing equality, diversity, and inclusion.

With an estimated 4,000 attendees, the event is a wonderful celebration for the local LGBTQ+ community, families, friends, and allies.

In 2024, SKylight awarded Stockport Pride £2000 to help fund BSL interpreters, cleaners, and venue costs.

Background and Purpose

Stockport Pride was created to address some of the unique challenges faced by families and individuals within the LGBTQ+ community.

Research has shown that these families often experience a lack of visibility, support, and inclusive spaces. The festival aims to:

  1. Create a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community.
  2. Increase public awareness and visibility.
  3. Foster community connections across diverse groups.

Key Participants

Stockport Pride is made possible through collaboration with several local LGBTQ+ organisations, including Stockport LGBTQ+, Stockport Forward LGBTQ+, and The Proud Trust.

These organisations actively engage with the community, seeking input on event programming and inviting groups to participate by running stalls and promoting their services.

Event Highlights

Over 65 organisations participated in 2024, offering a wide variety of stalls, resources, and services.

The festival featured live performances, a buzzing parade, and diverse food stalls, ensuring a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere.

Attendees loved the event, noting improvements and expansion with every year.

Feedback and Outcomes

A key indicator of success was the positive feedback from both attendees and participating organisations. One participant noted:

"Lots of choices of stall holders and food stalls, the stage area was good, and the parade seemed bigger this year and again well organised. Well done to all who supported in getting this together."

Impact

Stockport Pride plays a vital role in bringing communities together, providing a visible and celebratory platform for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. It contributes to making Stockport a more vibrant, inclusive, and progressive place to live and work.