Swindon and Wiltshire Pride ANNOUNCEMENT

After some deliberation, and after seeing the events of the past few weeks unfold, we have taken the unfortunate decision to cancel Swindon and Wiltshire Pride 2020.

As a committee we believe that given the current state of emergency, the uncertainty of the next few months, and the importance of staying safe, we feel that it is not right for us to continue planning for the event. 

This decision follows guidance from Public Health England and the UK Government regarding coronavirus, and the uncertainty of how long the current situation could last.

It is vitally important that as a community, we reach out to one another, and that each of us ensures our family, friends, loved ones and neighbours are supported, and that they are safe.

Our event was planned for 8th August 2020, and so far, we have had some amazing support from local businesses, the wider community and individuals, and if we did not have this help, Swindon and Wiltshire Pride would not have bounced back like it did last year. 

We had hoped to hold off from making this decision until the end of June, but the reality of the lockdown we are now in means that we face weeks and months of uncertainty, and we couldn’t have planned for the event during the next few months with the uncertainty hanging over us.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors: Nationwide Building Society, Thames Water and Unison who have allowed us to roll their sponsorship over to the 2021 event and we are truly grateful for their continued commitment and support. We would also like to thank our incredible community, volunteers, sponsors and supporters. Thank you everyone.

The power of the Pride movement will not be lost, and sadly, we join many other Prides worldwide in making the difficult decision to postpone this year’s celebrations.

As a committee we will be looking at doing more online and driving our social media engagement. We are fully committed to ensuring the event returns in 2021.

Should you need any more help or support during this difficult time, please reach out to Switchboard the LGBT+ charity, their website is www.switchboard.lgbt