On 29 July Notts Refugee Forum joined the vibrant Notts Pride Parade for the first time in our history. Under the warm sun, members of our LGBTQ+ project, staff and volunteers marched alongside more than 10,000 LGBTQ+ people and allies. It was heart-warming to see everyone coming together to celebrate diversity and promote equality.
Following the March, we set up a stall in the lively Lace Market area. Passers-by showed generosity and support, stopping to learn about the Forum, our ongoing projects and how to contribute. It was incredible to see such support for NNRF.
We raised a total of £111 on the day, and would like to give a special thank you to beneficiaries who took part in the march under the Nottingham Refugee Forum banner, explained our work and collected donations in the Lace Market and an extra special thank you to our unicorn and fundraising maverick, Peter, who helped us to raise most of the funds on the day of Pride.
This was a joyful celebration of LGBTQ+ support in Nottingham, and we were thrilled by the interest we received from people wanting to volunteer or donate (or both!). For many of the clients it was their first time participating in a Pride Parade and it was a joy and an honour to march side by side with them.
One client in particular, Mojib, told us:
“When I was 5 years old, I realized that I was different from others! I grew up and realized that there is gay! Since I was a child, I wished to participate in the Pride celebration, my wish came true yesterday! We are very numerous, according to the council yesterday in Nottingham, ten thousand people participated in Pride and I cried yesterday and I could understand the true feeling of pride! I hope you will also participate in Pride to feel the feeling of being real”
If you would like to support this service, why not join the Rainbow Lottery, where 50% of ticket sales come to us. The donations will fund the monthly Community group which has become a huge help to many of our LGBTQ+ clients. We provide a space for our LGBTQ+ clients to be themselves and meet others in a similar situation. It is a space where clients can support each through their shared difficulties, and simply have some fun. We’ve had dance classes, nature walks, arts and crafts sessions and socials, and the donations raised will help us pay for the practical necessities of such a group.
If you are interested in volunteering for the project, please send us your details via our volunteering page.
