Community Event of the Year, Reading Pride, Kingdom Rooms
The largest community-run event in Reading has been nominated for the Community of the Year award.
“Reading Pride was formed in 2003 to represent and support the local LGBT+ community,” said its nominator.
“Since the first festival in 2004 attendance has grown steadily year on year with over 15,000 people visiting throughout the day and well over 3,000 participating in the Parade.
Reading Pride attracts “visitors from across the borough and beyond to visit our town and celebrate their mission statement, Love Unites.
“The event is welcoming of everyone in Reading and provides a safe space for those who are part of the LGBT+ community to celebrate love.
“The parade has grown from a few hundred people taking part to several thousand and is a true highlight of the events calendar for Reading.
“The event is run entirely by volunteers who work tirelessly in order to create a family friendly event for Reading that is enjoyed by thousands of people.”
They added it “spreads an important message which is that ‘Together our voices will drown out hate and inequality in the world’.
“Tom Price, who is the current CEO, has developed the event and continues to engage with the Reading community to ensure that Pride stays as part of the fabric of the town.”
The Community Event of the Year is sponsored by Kingdom Rooms, suppliers of insulated garden rooms and offices.