All colours of the rainbow on show as Northampton Pride returns to Waterside Campus

It was a day of colourful celebration at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus last weekend as it hosted the festivities for this year’s Northampton Pride.

On Saturday (13 July), thousands of local people swarmed to the University of Northampton to celebrate Northampton’s annual Pride parade and festival.

Pride is a valuable opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in West Northamptonshire and give residents the opportunity to come together to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ communities.

After the parade celebrated its way through the streets of the town centre, the event was officially opened with a minute of noise. Entertainment and rainbow flags were in no short supply, with stilt walkers, hula hoopers, poetry and spoken word performances, Burlesque dancers and musical performances keeping an unforgettable buzz alive throughout the afternoon.

A number of community groups and local organisations were also present on the day to provide information, support and a friendly conversation including Q Space, UON’S LGBT+ Staff Network, The Royal & Derngate Theatre, NLive, Northampton Hope Centre, QStory Northampton, Vendetta Vixens and Northampton General Hospital Trust Pride Network.

The event was a fantastic demonstration of community support according to the University of Northampton’s Vice Chancellor, Anne-Marie Kilday: “It was wonderful to welcome so many staff, students, partner agencies and members of our local community at this year’s colourful festivities on campus.

“Equality, diversity and inclusivity is at the beating heart of everything we do here at UON. We take true pride in hosting Northampton Pride and engaging with our community to understand where we can better support and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ communities as a Higher Education institution.

“I look forward to continuing our involvement and allyship with Northampton Pride in the coming years, and seeing the event continue to thrive and flourish!”

Find out more about Northampton Pride via West Northants Council’s website.