Claire's School Solutions are supporting Pride In Belper this June. We are on the Pride Welcome List of local businesses and are taking part in the Pride Window display competition.

Here, Jo interviews Sarah (Chair of Pride in Belper) about why she feels this is so important and how she came to this position.

Q: Tell us about your role for Pride in Belper.

A: I’m one of the founders of Pride in Belper and currently chair the organising committee. My role involves helping shape the overall vision and direction of Pride, working with volunteers, local businesses, community groups and sponsors, and making sure everything we do reflects our four core values: sustainability, accessibility, inclusivity and diversity.

A big part of my role is bringing people together and helping create a town where everyone feels they belong. Pride in Belper has always been about more than a single event. It’s about building community, creating understanding and making it clear that everyone deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to be themselves.

Q:How long have you been in this role?

A: Pride in Belper started in 2019. It was actually my idea to organise a large Pride picnic in the Memorial Gardens. The more people we spoke to about it, the bigger it became. Around 8,000 people attended that first event, which was incredible.

Since then, it’s been wonderful to see Pride in Belper grow from an idea into something that is now a recognised and valued part of the Belper community. What has remained constant is our commitment to creating something that is welcoming, accessible and community-led.

Q: June is a very busy month… what are the main highlights happening in Belper?

It certainly is! This year we have a fantastic programme of events. Highlights include our Pride Dog Show at Belper Goes Green, the Unicorn Pride Treasure Hunt around the town, our shop window competition, Pride-themed displays and activities across local businesses, and the relaunch of our Welcome List.

We also have social events throughout the year, all designed to bring people together, celebrate diversity and create opportunities for connection and awareness-raising.

One thing that is different this year is that we aren’t holding our usual large-scale Pride event. Like many LGBTQ+ organisations across the country, we’ve found fundraising particularly challenging in the current climate. Rather than stretching ourselves too thin, we’ve decided to focus this year on community activities and fundraising for a bigger Pride celebration next year.

Q: We are pleased to be on the Welcome List here at Claire’s School Solutions and think it is a wonderful idea for our town. Is this new this year? How did it come about?

A: Thank you – we’re delighted you’re part of it.

The Welcome List actually launched last year, but we’re expanding and relaunching it this year. It came about following conversations with local LGBTQ+ people, particularly Trans and non-binary people, who told us that knowing where they would be welcomed and treated with dignity made a real difference to their confidence and sense of belonging.

The Welcome List is a simple way for businesses, organisations and community groups to visibly demonstrate that everyone is welcome. It has received a fantastic response, and we now have more than 60 businesses, organisations and groups across the Belper area taking part.

For us, it reflects a simple principle:

Pride isn’t about saying one group matters more than another. It’s about making sure nobody feels they matter less.

Q: This is our first year in our new premises on Green Lane and we’re excited to be taking part in the window display competition. Do you find that most shop fronts take part in this?

A: The window competition has become one of our most popular activities. Not every business takes part, but each year more and more do, and the creativity is incredible.

One of the lovely things about it is that businesses can get involved in a way that suits them, whether that’s a full Pride-themed display or a simple message of welcome and inclusion. The displays create a real sense that the whole town is celebrating together and visibly demonstrating that Belper is a welcoming place for everyone. We have a small team of children and young people who will be doing the judging later in the month!

Q: How would you say the Belper Pride events have improved and grown over the years?

A: The biggest change has probably been the level of community ownership. In the early days we were focused on creating an event. Now Pride in Belper feels much more like a community movement.

We have stronger partnerships with businesses, schools, community groups and local organisations, and many people who may never have attended a Pride event before now actively support and participate.

We’ve also become more focused on creating opportunities for people to connect throughout the year, not just during Pride month. Increasingly, our work is about community building, education, visibility and creating spaces where people feel safe, welcome and valued.

Q: What would be your main message to everyone ahead of Pride in Belper this year?

A: My message would simply be that Pride in Belper is for everyone.

Everything we do is guided by our values of sustainability, accessibility, inclusivity and diversity, and we work hard to ensure those values are visible in everything we do.

Whether you’re LGBTQ+, an ally, a family, a business owner or simply someone who believes in kindness and community, there is a place for you.

I know there are some people who wonder whether Pride is still needed, who feel that equality has already been achieved, or who ask questions such as “When will there be a straight Pride?” My response is always that most LGBTQ+ people aren’t looking for special treatment or attention. They simply want the same things everyone else wants: to feel safe, accepted, respected and able to be themselves.

At a time when the world can feel increasingly divided, our message is actually very simple. Being LGBTQ+ is not a choice, a lifestyle or an ideology. It is part of who people are, just as being heterosexual is part of who someone is.

Pride isn’t about saying one group matters more than another. It’s about making sure nobody feels they matter less.

Pride in Belper is about bringing people together, building understanding and celebrating the diversity that makes our community stronger. We hope everyone will join us in making June a month of welcome, connection and community strength.