About Pride

Reading Pride Mission Statement

Reading Pride was founded in 2003. We are a registered charity run solely by volunteers, aiming to promote equality and diversity, advance education and work towards eliminating discrimination in relation to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people, in Reading and across the Thames Valley. Reading Pride is best known for the annual festival we stage. Our free-to-enter event celebrates our local community and has made significant progress in encouraging the promotion of LGBT equality.

Throughout the year we work to raise public awareness, and support, of our friends and colleagues at other charitable and voluntary organisations in the Thames Valley area which provide information, advice and support on a breadth of LGBT issues. Over the last six years we have worked tirelessly to raise funds for the community and for our annual festival where we showcase diversity and encourage acceptance throughout Berkshire.

Our next festival takes place on Saturday 4th September 2010 at Kings Meadow, Reading, and we expect over 12,500 local residents to attend this free event.

Reading Pride 2008

We can confirm that we had a record attendance of more than 10,500. Which has helped raise more money this year, and for the first time in Reading Pride's history, we are in the position to put money back into the local community, which we will be doing by offering our support to a number of local charities and organisations.

2007 Report from Reading Borough Council

Reading Pride is one of the newest events on the annual calendar. Pride already attracts 6,000 attendees to the event at Kings Meadow. Using Visit Britain's estimate for average day visitor spend (£60), the visitors to Pride (who are drawn from a far wider geographic spread than some local events) contribute in the region of £360,000 to the local economy.