NORTHERN PRIDE’S COMMUNITY VILLAGE RETURNS FOR UK PRIDE

We are bringing back our community village for this year’s event with even more zones, thanks to support from Newcastle United.

The event – the first in person festival since before the pandemic – will include a number of new initiatives this year, as well as all the familiar favourites.

And that includes the creation of the United As One Community Village, which is being sponsored by the football club.

The community village was originally created in 2019 in response to feedback from the LGBTQ+ community wanting to acknowledge some of the reasons the Pride movement began. Now, as Newcastle also celebrates being UK Pride 2022, it is set to return but bigger and better than ever before.

Anyone attending Northern Pride – which runs from 22-24 July at Newcastle’s Town Moor – will also be able to get access to a range of information, services and, for the first time, a sports zone.

The community village will see the health and well being zone available on Saturday 23 July, with family and youth sections returning on both days, along with a number of new and exciting offerings which will feature for the first time.

Northern Pride has been working closely with Newcastle United in recent years and sponsoring the entire community village represents the club’s continued commitment.

“We have been able to bring the village to another level thanks to the support from Newcastle United,” said Ste.

“Inclusion in North East sport is something we have always wanted to build on and did so with events such as the 2019 finals of the Challenge Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup, as well as supporting the LGBTQ football match that NUFC held pre-pandemic.

“We have been working together more closely in recent years, culminating in the creation of the United As One Community Village this year, our first in person event since 2019.

“We are massively grateful to the club for supporting us, not only in helping us make sport more inclusive for our community but also in enabling us to provide support and information on a range of important matters.”

Pride has also been working with the LGBT Northern Social Group in recent times, leading to the creation within the community village of the Northern Social Group zone.

This area is aimed at people who may be going to Pride on their own or are attending for the first time and those looking to escape the loud celebrations being held in the Festival Arena and on the main stage.

“This will be the perfect space for those looking to start their Pride experience in a friendly, inclusive space,” said Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride.

“We’ve also been told that some people feel unsafe travelling to Pride wearing the clothes in the gender they have chosen so we have also introduced on site changing facilities which will be available all weekend for their use.

“We want people to feel safe and be whoever they want to be and come to Pride and have a happy and positive experience.”