Our Story
Chester Pride began as a community celebration and has grown into a year-round LGBTQ+ charity supporting people across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales. Our story is rooted in visibility, community action and the belief that LGBTQ+ people deserve to feel safe, respected and included.
How Chester Pride Began
Chester Pride started in 2013 with its first event outside Chester Town Hall. Around 2,500 people attended that first celebration, showing the need for a visible and welcoming Pride event in the city.
What began as a single event has grown into a wider charity supporting LGBTQ+ people through community activity, support services, social spaces and outreach.
Growing With the Community
As the annual Pride event grew, so did the organisation’s role in the community. Chester Pride expanded beyond the event itself, developing services and activities that support people throughout the year.
The charity now supports the community through social groups, youth and family spaces, wellbeing initiatives, outreach projects and partnerships with local organisations.
From Annual Event to Year-Round Charity
Chester Pride is now more than a Pride event. Our work continues throughout the year through support services, community groups, workshops, local partnerships and projects that respond to the needs of LGBTQ+ people across the region.
CHESTER PRIDE HISTORY
Chester pride began two years before its first event back in 2013, a feasibility and want study was carried out by Cheshire West & Chester Council to see if a Pride event in Chester would be welcomed and supported
A community idea begins
Chester Pride began as a consultation from Cheshire West and Chester Council during a two-year project. A committee was formed as Lions Pride, bringing together public bodies, local businesses and key stakeholders to help create the first event.
The first Chester Pride event
Chester Pride launched on Saturday 5 October at Chester Town Hall Square, with an estimated 2,500 people attending the first event. It featured a main stage outside the Town Hall steps, market stalls, bars, food and a health and wellbeing expo inside the Town Hall, with David Redpath-Smith as Chair of Chester Pride.
Becoming independent
Following the success of the first event, Chester Pride returned in October at Grosvenor Park. The organisation moved away from Lions Pride, formed its own independent committee, became a registered charity and launched the first Chester Pride parade march through the city centre.
A new home at Castle Square
As attendance grew, Chester Pride needed a more suitable venue after very poor weather in 2014. Castle Square was selected and has remained the event’s home for 11 years. Chester Pride also launched a free family fun day in Grosvenor Park, with activities and entertainment welcoming LGBT families and ally families. Leadership also changed, with David becoming Vice Chair and Helen Picken-Jones becoming Chair.
Entertainment and fundraising grow
Chester Pride continued to grow and remained well attended at the main event. A new Cabaret Tent was added to the line-up and regular fundraising events were created to help fund Chester Pride’s work.
Moving to August
Chester Pride expanded its committee, explored new projects and moved from October to its August date. The change helped the event fit better within the Pride calendar around other events such as Liverpool and Manchester, while also addressing the lack of daylight during late pack-downs.
Year-round visibility
Founding member Warren Lee Allmark was appointed Chair and took the event in a new direction, with a focus on year-round visibility. Several projects were explored to strengthen representation. Richard Euston was also appointed and later became Chester Pride’s Head of Charity, with the task of creating programmes and events outside of the main event.
Services, campaigns and resilience
Chester Pride faced its first major issue when extreme weather warnings forced the August event to be rescheduled to September. The Just Ask helpline launched as a free service for the LGBT community, offering support across several issues. Chester Pride also launched Take 5, a free wellbeing campaign, alongside a reverse advent calendar for West Cheshire Foodbank and a free Christmas Day meal for members of the community spending Christmas alone. The charity also moved into its first official office space at Mecca Bingo.
Digital Pride during Covid
After recovering from the rescheduled event and launching several services, Chester Pride began work on creating a more visible year-round community space and café. When Covid became an issue, Chester Pride made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person event and replace it with a Digital Pride event.
Reflect and Connect
The Covid pandemic continued to delay the opening of the Rainbow Tea Rooms. As restrictions eased, Reflect and Connect launched as a smaller alternative Pride event and became a test for moving away from a free event to a ticketed model, following the pressures of the previous three years. Reflect and Connect attracted 2,500 people to the lower car park at Chester Pride.
Rainbow Tea Rooms opens
Chester Pride marked another major year with the launch of the Rainbow Tea Rooms. The main event also expanded, adding the Runway Tent, filled with drag performers and more suitable for an adult audience. Chester Pride moved offices to the Unity Centre in Chester after needing more space.
Celebrating 10 years
Chester Pride celebrated its 10th anniversary with a two-day event at Castle Square. The year also saw the closure of the Just Ask service due to funding and capacity issues, while the Chester Pride charity team grew with three new members joining.
Funding challenges and new media
Chester Pride continued its work, but sadly funding challenges led to the loss of the Head of Charity role and the staff who assisted Richard in delivering several projects. The organisation also launched its own podcast, the Chester Pride Cast, creating another platform for community stories, conversations and visibility.
Community workshops and the garden
After a few tough years, Chester Pride changed its year-round events and operations, continuing to focus on the Rainbow Tea Rooms and the main event. Rachael Roberts became Community Engagement Manager, helping launch several workshops, events and the opening of the Chester Pride Garden at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Why Our Story Matters
Chester Pride’s growth reflects the strength, resilience and need of the LGBTQ+ community across the region. Our history shows how community-led action can create visibility, support and long-term change.
Looking Ahead
As Chester Pride continues to grow, our focus remains on delivering inclusive events, strengthening community support and building safer spaces for LGBTQ+ people across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Chester Pride start?
Chester Pride started in 2013 with its first event outside Chester Town Hall.
How many people attended the first Chester Pride event?
Around 2,500 people attended the first Chester Pride event.
Is Chester Pride only an annual event?
No. Chester Pride is now a year-round LGBTQ+ charity delivering events, support services and community projects.
Where does Chester Pride support people?
Chester Pride supports LGBTQ+ communities across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales.