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A leading rail company is on the right track, after becoming a supporter of Northern Pride for the first time. Newcastle based Lumo, which operates up and down the east coast route to London and Edinburgh, is sponsoring the Rainbow Village at this year’s event, which features a number of market stalls and will be extended to run on both the Saturday and Sunday of Pride weekend. Pride 2023 will take place over the weekend of 22-23 July at Newcastle’s Town Moor and will include some new aspects as well as all of the regular favourites. The Town Moor will be divided into two distinct areas, the Community Village and The Festival Arena, with the Rainbow Village part of the former. Martin Gilbert, MD at Lumo said that “supporting Northern Pride is a natural fit” for the organisation. “As a relatively new company based in Newcastle, diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do both internally with our great team and in the service we provide our customers with our ‘one-class’ all-inclusive and sustainable electric train service,” he said. “We know that the work of Northern Pride, and Pride weekend, is important for many of our colleagues and customers, so we’re really proud to be showing our support and getting involved.” Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, said he was delighted to have Lumo on board. “We are only able to continue to provide Pride at its current level because of the support we receive and the generosity of our sponsors,” he said. “We wanted to expand the Rainbow Village over the entire weekend this year, as in previous years it has only been open on the Saturday. “Because of Lumo’s support we are able to do that and we are very grateful to them.” This year will also see a small charge for anyone wanting to enter The Festival Arena, although The Community Village remains free. In addition to the Main Stage - where the yet-to-be-revealed big name acts will perform -The Festival Arena will also feature the BeScene dance and cabaret zone, which will showcase performers from across Newcastle’s LGBTQIA+ scene. The Festival Arena will have bars and food stalls, along with the funfair and access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle – for those who have bought tickets for the new and improved VIP space. Tickets start from £6 for each day or £10 for a weekend pass, with businesses also encouraged to buy tickets and gift them to individuals or organisations which may not otherwise be able to attend. The Community Village will feature the very popular the Curious Arts stage, as well as the return of the sports and active life zone and the LGBT Northern Social Group which supports those who may be attending Pride for the first time. The Community Village will also see the return of the Family and Youth zone and the Health and Wellbeing area, which for the first time, will operate across the whole weekend.

POP royalty, X Factor performers and West End stars will all come together at this year’s Northern Pride. The event – held on Newcastle’s Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July – has just unveiled more names for its weekend line up of performers. X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, DJ Woody Cook – who regularly appears on Celebrity Gogglebox with his mum, Zoe Ball - and transgender pop princess, Freddie Lewis will head up the Saturday event, which will end with the spectacular Ministry of Sound does Pride performance. Sunday will be headlined by Steps favourite, Lisa Scott-Lee, as well as West End star, Miriam-Teak Lee, who was the original star of the show &Juliet. She will perform some of the pop anthems associated with the show, as well as music from artistes ranging from Ariana Grande to Lizzo. Capital drive time host and X Factor alumni, Sam Lavery, will join the Sunday line-up, with the weekend also repeating its stage takeovers across Saturday and Sunday. This time round the takeovers will include Newcastle Mela on Saturday, following on from the success of their appearance last year and Curious Arts Youth Music on Sunday, who will perform a range of original songs as well as cover versions. Saturday will also see a takeover by Swagga, the Manchester-based LGBT+ club night which brings R&B, dance hall and old skool favourites together. The Main Stage, and last year’s popular Live at Pride, which delivered exclusive back stage access to its artists across social media, will be hosted by the North East’s queen of comedy, Miss Rory, who will be sharing the honours with PlastiQ, MXYM, Gaydio breakfast host Paris Munro and Stacey Bee, founder of Swagga. For the first time Northern Pride has also unveiled a new app created by event app specialists, Woov, which will help festival goers to keep in touch with events and updates throughout the weekend. Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride, said the app was in response the number of inquiries that were made last year. “We saw a huge amount of visitors to our website before and during the weekend last year, with people checking on timings and wanting key information” he said. “So it made sense to work with Woov, who’ve deliver the app for large events like Mighty Hoopla and Elrow. “The app which is free to download will provide timings for all the zones across the festival and will give the user the chance to personalise their own Pride plans, a fully interactive site map, and in-app community with updates on the lead up to and during the festival.” Ste believes that this year’s line up also has something to offer everyone, with the full schedule available on the app. “We’ve drawn the entertainment from so many different genres and also stayed true to our commitment to give local performers a platform,” he said. The Pride app can be downloaded free of charge at www.northern-pride.com/app and will also provide the full programme for the entire weekend. The live performances will take place in the Festival Arena, which this year’s carries a small charge, with ticket prices starting from £6 for a day pass and £10 for the entire weekend, which gives access to bars and food stalls as well as the funfair. Anyone who buys tickets for the new and improved VIP space will also have access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle. The Community Village will remain a free space throughout the weekend, which includes the Curious Arts stage, the sports and active life zone and the LGBT+ Northern Social Group which supports those who may be attending Pride for the first time. It will also house the Family and Youth Zone and the Health and Wellbeing area as well as the Rainbow Village with its market stalls, which will all operate across the entire weekend.

Long standing partners and new business recruits showed their support for Northern Pride today (Thurs 1 June) as the organisation unveiled its new home. Ahead of this year’s event – which will take place on Newcastle Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July – supporters were invited to a thank you event this morning. And it also gave them the opportunity to see Pride’s new home at Northern Stage, where it will be sharing office space with long-standing delivery partner, Curious Arts. Attending the event were representatives from companies which have had supported Northern Pride for a number of years, including business partner, NE1, Nexus, Co-op, Maldron Hotel Newcastle, Pride Radio and Bobby’s Newcastle. Alongside the returning sponsors, the event also welcomed a number of new organisations who have come on board for the first time – BT Group, train company Lumo, LoganAir and construction company, Morgan Sindall. Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, expressed his gratitude for the continued support of the existing sponsors and the new organisations which have come on board. “We are still in very challenging times and without the continued commitment from supporters and the business community Northern Pride simply wouldn’t happen,” he said. “We are so grateful as we couldn’t deliver on the scale that we do without them. “It’s also fantastic to see so many new supporters joining us for the first time, at what we hope will be the start of a very long and happy relationship.” Ste also sent his thanks to NewcastleGateshead Initiative, who have supported the delivery of their Proud Allies Training to the North East’s hospitality sector. “Thousands of people travel from outside of the region for Pride, staying hotels, dining in restaurants and visiting other attractions,” said Ste. ”So it’s important that staff and business increase their awareness and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community ahead of the festival this summer, to create a warm and welcoming environment.” In conjunction with Curious Arts, the Proud Allies training is available to any company and has been particularly helpful to public facing organisations, HR and management. A few sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s Pride, with supporters’ packages from £995. There are also a handful of market stalls still on offer across the entire weekend.

World renowned DJs who are among the biggest names in the dance music industry are set to make this year’s Northern Pride an event to remember. Northern Pride presents Pride 23 – which takes place at Newcastle’s Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July – have unveiled the first major event on the entertainment line-up. Ministry of Sound does Pride will close the Saturday night, with a sizzling 90 minute set, bringing a taste of Ibiza to the city. Taking to the decks will be Smokin Jo, the only female to ever be given the number one DJ in the world award, who has gigged across the world in countries including Japan, Brazil, Greece, Singapore and the USA. She has been a regular at some of the top clubs in Ibiza where she still has a residency, as well at playing at Fabric in London. Joining Jo will be DJ and record producer, Seamus Haji, who has a number one in the UK dance charts to his name, with his cover of Indeep’s Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. He has worked with a whole host of musical greats, including Mariah Carey, Rhianna, Moby and Mika. The Ministry of Sound does Pride announcement marks the first news about who will be appearing at this year’s event, with more details to follow in the near future. Director, Ste Dunn, said this was a first for Northern Pride but he believed it will be a brilliant night. “We were very keen to mix it up and have some entertainment that was very different than anything we’d had before,” he said. “It’s a real coup for us getting two of the biggest DJs in the world to perform but we’re confident it will be an amazing club and party set.” The performance will take place in the Festival Arena, which this year’s carries a small charge to ensure that Pride is able to continue at the same level. Tickets start from £6 for a day pass and £10 for the entire weekend, which gives access to bars and food stalls as well as the funfair. Anyone who buys tickets for the new and improved VIP space will also have access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle. The Community Village will remain a free space throughout the weekend, which includes the Curious Arts stage, the sports and active life zone and the LGBT Northern Social Group which supports those who may be attending Pride for the first time. It will also house the Family and Youth Zone and the Health and Wellbeing area as well as the Rainbow Village with its market stalls, which will all operate across the entire weekend.

Our successful family friendly event which celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community is set to return next month! And the good news is that Ouseburn Family Pride will be offering more activities than ever before, with a packed programme of events and entertainment for all ages. Venues across the area, including Ouseburn Valley Farm, The Cluny, Seven Stories, Ouseburn Tunnel, and LGBTQ+ friendly pub The Ship have once again got behind the event. The Pride, taking place on 28 May from 12 noon till 6pm has been sponsored by Byker-headquartered tech consultancy, Opencast, with support from Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, National Education Union, Curious Arts and Generator North East. While the day will see the return of a number of favourite activities, for the first time this year there will be a dedicated youth zone at Cluny 2 which will showcase sets from young and up and coming LGBTQ+ performers. Participants of Curious Arts Queer Youth Music group, which Northern Pride has been supporting, will take to the stage to perform new music they’ve created together, before the youth zone closes with a disco and live DJ set – aimed at 14-year-olds and upwards. Also new for 2023 is the opportunity to buy from LGBTQIA+ makers, bakers and creatives for a special pride market at the site of Ouseburn Market – anyone who would like to apply for a stall can do so online. The various venues will hold a range of activities, with a meet the animals workshop and Unfolding Theatre storytelling and craft activities at Ouseburn Farm, along with the opportunity to have a free taster tour of the Victoria Tunnel throughout the day. The Cluny has a full day of events, including a family drag show with Drag Castle, the chance to meet Disney characters as well as enjoy singing and entertainment provide by True Dreams Inclusive Parties and Events. True Colours Theatre Choir, an inclusive children’s choir, will also be hosting singing sessions, with Makaton signing, and there will also be the opportunity to contribute to a Family Pride Zine with theatre zine maker Mack Sproats. Curious Arts will be back with Mini Pride on the Village Green, and their unique story telling character Dinner Lady Pam, will be at Seven Stories throughout the day along with special guest authors. Sheena Widdowfield, Opencast’s head of learning and culture, said the company was delighted to be supporting the 2023 event. “As a business, Opencast is committed to diversity and inclusion among its people, as well as in the community. Being headquartered locally in Byker, we are particularly happy to support Ouseburn Family Pride,” she said. “This is such a great family event where there’s something for people of all ages to get together in one of Newcastle’s most exciting and fast growing areas. “We know it’s such a joyous occasion and so well received by everyone who attended in 2021, we didn’t hesitate to take up the main sponsor role and we’re over the moon to have been able to help the event grow this year.” Nimerta Virdee, Family and Youth Engagement Manager, at Northern Pride is also looking forward to the event. "The first time we held Ouseburn Family Pride back in 2021 it was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined,” said Nimerta. “Providing a celebration that centres our amazing LGBTQIA+ families and the children and young people who are growing up in them is a special privilege and I am so excited to see the festival return this spring.”

Applications to take part in this year's BeScene zone are now open and we expect places to be a hot ticket so act quickly and get that application in today! The Be Scene Zone is the North East's biggest open stage for LGBTQIA+ Performers and this is your chance to be involved! Join us for a weekend of entertainment where you can show what you've got to a whole new audience. Applications will close May 21st 2023 We asked PlastiQ why they think BeScene is important. "I think what we’ve done with BeScene is allowed a space completely free of judgement where members of our LGBTQIA+ community can show us what they’ve got on the North East’s biggest open stage". "We’ve seen the BeScene zone applications increase year on year and I imagine this year will be the biggest year yet." "With queer performers across the globe under fire, I think this is really the year to be loud be heard, and Be Scene." This year you’ll need a General Admission ticket or Platinum Pass to gain access to the Festival Arena. General Admission First Release Tickets from £6+fees. Platinum Pass First Release from £14+fees. Festival Arena open 1-9pm both days, includes: 🎤Main Stage ⭐️Platinum Bar & Garden (new and improved) sponsored by Bobbys Newcastle 🪩BeScene Zone (18+) 🎡Fairground 🍺Main Bar 🍔Food Venders 🎟️Link in comments to get your tickets ℹ️Link in the comments to learn more about this years festival Tickets for over 12s are now on sale at www.northern-pride.com with the option to also upgrade and buy a Platinum Pass. Businesses can learn more about partner opportunities by heading to www.northern-pride.com/supporterguide

Festival goers who don’t want to miss out on this year’s main stage entertainment at Northern Pride can now buy their tickets in advance. This year’s event – taking place at Newcastle’s Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July -will continue in the format of recent years with two distinct areas – The Festival Arena and The Community Village. And due to spiralling costs and the continued after effects of the pandemic, this year will see a small charge introduced to enter The Festival Arena. Northern Pride has remained the only event of its kind in the region not to have a charge attached, and while access to The Community Village remains free, this year organisers have introduced a small cost to access The Festival Arena, to ensure it can maintain its usual high standards across the entire festival. In addition to the Main Stage - where the yet-to-be-revealed big name acts will perform -The Festival Arena will also feature the BeScene dance and cabaret zone, which will showcase performers from across Newcastle’s LGBTQIA+ scene. The Festival Arena will have bars and food stalls, along with the funfair and access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle – for those who have bought tickets for the new and improved VIP space. Tickets start from £6 for each day or £10 for a weekend pass. Northern Pride will be working with its charity and not-for profit partners to gift tickets to their service users, with festival attendees having a ‘Pay it Forward’ option on the ticketing platform which will allow Northern Pride to donate additional free tickets to those who may be unable to purchase them,. Northern Pride is also encouraging local businesses to take advantage of partner opportunities which will also help donate extra tickets for charities and not for-profit partners. “This is a great opportunity for an organisation or company who want to support Northern Pride in a small way to buy passes that can be distributed to people who may not have the funds,” said Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride. Ste added that there had been no option but to make a charge. “This hasn’t been an easy decision to make, but if we are to keep Northern Pride Festival at the level people expect, while maintaining a free to access community event, we have had to introduce a charge for the Festival Arena,” “Costs have increased massively and this is the only way we can provide such a fantastic event in the current climate.” Organisers have ensured that there are still free aspects to the event, which includes the return of the Community Village with its stand out feature, the Curious Arts stage. Following on from its success last year, the Community Village will also bring back the sports and active life zone and the LGBT Northern Social Group will return to support those who may be attending Pride for the first time. “We are committed to keeping the Community Village free,” said Ste. “This area is right at the heart of the Pride movement, creating a safe space for people to come together in grass roots activities and activism.” The Community Village will also see the return of the Family and Youth zone and the Health and Wellbeing area, which for the first time, will operate across the whole weekend. The Rainbow Village and its market stalls has previously only run on the first day of Pride, however this time it will be open on both Saturday and Sunday, following requests from attendees at last year’s event. “We are sure the LGBTQIA+ community will understand this decision and will support this year to ensure we really do have one of the best events to date,” said Ste. Tickets for over 12s are now on sale at www.northern-pride.com with the option to also upgrade and buy a Platinum Pass. Businesses can learn more about partner opportunities by heading to www.northern-pride.com/supporterguide

We've got two exciting voluntary roles to join our planning team for Pride 23! We're looking for someone who loves spreadsheets, and someone who loves storytelling! So step forward and join our team as either our Finance Manager or our Comms and Marketing Manager and help us deliver for our community. Nimerta, our Community Engagement Officer for Family and Youth (pictured in purple) said "volunteering for Northern Pride means giving back to my community and making sure as many people as possible can feel that joy of being their true authentic self" FINANCE MANAGER To provide financial management of the charity including dealing with banking processes, bookkeeping, reconciliation, cash flow, reporting, budget management, invoicing and purchase order processes and regular financial returns including but not limited to, VAT returns, end of year reports, Gift Aid returns. COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER To support the delivery of Northern Pride events, campaigns, and outreach work, by providing communication and marketing support throughout the planning and execution of all activities. To apply, send an email with a CV and covering letter to info@npride.org.uk. Alternatively, you can send a short video sharing why you should be considered. CLOSING DATE 13th March. For more information, head to www.northern-pride.com/getinvolved We're also on the lookout for some skills to bring to our team of event volunteers, from social media management to content writers and designers. Head online to apply!

Presented by Generator & Brighter Sound - Join I. JORDAN and a group of Northern Non-Binary & Trans noise-makers, rappers, composers, DJs and more performing new sounds created in just five days. Known for their palette of raw and emotive club music, I. JORDAN leads an intentional, dedicated residency for Trans and Non-Binary artists at Star and Shadow from 23-27 January. “Trans and queer spaces are powerful and transformative”, JORDAN says. “But there are not enough dedicated spaces that specifically allow artists to just create. We will be using the power of community to harness our creativity. I can’t wait to see what we make together.” SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Trans_Formation Open Decks at World Headquarters | Tuesday 24th January, 7pm – 10pm Underground club World HQ are opening their doors once a month to welcome the DJ’s of tomorrow with the opportunity to play on their two amazing sound systems. This month’s will be ring fenced for Female, Trans and Non-Binary people – providing a space space for DJs to gain experience on a professional club set up and on a club system, trial new ideas and learn from others. Trans_Formation Roiler Boom Open Decks at The Lubber Fiend | Wednesday 25th January, 5pm til late The North East’s community radio station Slacks Radio are hosting their monthly radio social Roiler Boom at The Lubber Fiend as part of our Trans_Formation residency. Open to the public, free entry, no sign up, one turntable and one tape deck. You don’t have to bring any music, just come down, chat to some Slack’s and Lubber friends and family and listen through our stunning funktion-one system. Walk ups welcome Trans_Formation Social at The Lubber Fiend | Thursday 26th January , 7pm doors An informal Q&A and mixer event for queer, trans and non binary creatives based in the North of England to broaden networks and nurture collaboration. Q&A will take place between I.JORDAN and TAAHLIAH One of dance music’s most exciting artists, London-based I. JORDAN is a true disciple of high-energy, high-emotion dance music. After holding down DJ residencies and promoting DIY parties across the UK for the best part of a decade, 2019 saw I. JORDAN take the plunge into releasing their own original music for the first time with an instant impact. TAAHLIAH has been confidently cementing her position amongst the main players of the electronic music landscape. She is also the first black trans artist to be nominated and win in two categories at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards Trans_Formation Residency Showcase at Star and Shadow | Friday 27th January , 7:30pm doors. Join I. JORDAN and a group of noise-makers, rappers, composers, DJs and more performing new sounds created in just five days. Known for their palette of raw and emotive club music, JORDAN leads an intentional, dedicated residency for Trans and Non-Binary artists at Star and Shadow from 23-27 January. “Trans and queer spaces are powerful and transformative”, JORDAN says. “But there are not enough dedicated spaces that specifically allow artists to just create. We will be using the power of community to harness our creativity. I can’t wait to see what we make together.” Join them at Star and Shadow as they perform their new tunes live for the first time. Trans_Formation Residency Showcase at TRANUARY Festival | Saturday 28th January TRANUARY is a new day-to-night festival by Trans for Trans, platforming the best in Trans talent from across the UK taking place at Soup, Manchester. 12 of the most exciting up-and-coming noise-makers, rappers, composers and DJs perform new sounds created on a 5-day residency led by I. JORDAN, an artist known for their palette of raw and emotive club music. Following a premiere performance in Newcastle, the group will perform live at TRANUARY between 8.30-9pm.

Companies across the North East and beyond wanting to increase their awareness and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community can now sign up for a special training programme. Northern Pride has joined forces with award-winning cultural charity Curious Arts, to develop a scheme for both individuals and organisations, which centres around equality, diversity and inclusion. The aim is for companies which are “actively looking to create safe and welcoming working and customer environments” for LGBTQIA+ people to sign up and be given all the information they need to achieve that aim. The Proud Allies Training has been developed so it can be delivered both in person and online and will cover topics such as correct language and definitions, history of both Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community, the law and discrimination and working with allies. It will also look at specific areas including people of faith, children and young people and supporting LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace as well as trans and non binary inclusion policies. Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride said feedback from those who had participated in the course so far had been very positive. “We have worked with Curious Arts to create a programme which is suitable for everyone, regardless of the size of a business and the number of employees,” he said. “It’s been particularly well received by companies which have a public facing role and for both HR and management teams. “It is also flexible enough so that we can address any particular areas that organisations would want including and that is particular relevant for them. “We believe this is something that is vital for anyone want to increase their understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and how to engage with them.” Costs start from £900 plus VAT for 16 people but bespoke quotes can be created on application.

For the first time ever, LGBTQIA+ people have been included in the England and Wales: Census 2021. We've made history! We are now recorded in Census data for the first time since it started back in 1801. This data will be used by charities, and service providers to better support and understand our community. We've looked at our North East data: 🏳️‍🌈 Over 50k, 3.12% of people living in the LA7* identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Pan, Asexual, Queer, and other. (UK 1.5m, 3.2%) 1.5m, 91.2% identified as straight/heterosexual (UK 43.4m, 89.4%) 95k, 5.7% in the LA7 didn't answer (UK 3.6m, 7.5%) 🏳️‍⚧️ Over 7k, 0.45% of people living in the LA7 said their gender was different from the sex registered at birth, including but not exclusive to Trans Man, Trans Woman, and Non Binary identities. (UK 262k, 0.5%) 1.5m, 95% said their gender was the same as their sex registered at birth (UK 45.7m, 93.5%) 76k, 4.75% in the LA7 didn't answer (UK 2.9m, 6.0%) The question was asked to the 'householder' and they answered on behalf of those living in that residence and was for those over the age of 16. This could mean that those whose gender identity or sexual orientation is not known or accepted by the person completing the census, or those under 16, may not be included in the results. We see you, and you are valid. The Census 2021 shows the importance of visibility and inclusion in our national story. We have always been here. Now we're #ProudToBeCounted. *LA7 - 7 Local Authorities that we support, Co Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland)

The committee and I would like to simply say, thank you, thank you to 2022. Since February 2020, it’s been an incredibly turbulent time for the team and for us as a charity. Navigating the pandemic, with highs and lows, delivering not one but two virtual prides, one bigger and more refined than the last and the launch of our new concept Ouseburn Family Pride, definitely outweigh the lows… but coming back to an in-person programme for 2022 got us all excited! What we didn't predict, was the amount of challenges we’d face as a non for profit and voluntary-led, events-based charity. Of course, our challenges were not necessarily unique to us, they were mirrored across not only the festival and events landscape, but of those from our wider UK Pride Organisers Network community. With supply and demand meaning we struggled with contractors fulfilling our requests and our costs increasing by over 30%. So why are we thankful for 2022? Well, we saw our community come together in force and with louder voices than ever! During our UK Pride weekend, sponsored by Barclays, we welcomed over 70,000 people to the Town Moor as we occupied more space thanks to our good friends at The Freemen of Newcastle. Our campaign to Remember, Resist and Rise Up truly came to life as we heard the sounds of over 25,000 voices calling for trans rights during our march which was led by and dedicated to the trans, non binary, and gender-diverse community, sponsored by NE1. We wanted to ensure we elevated and celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the event with over 90% of all performers, artists, creatives and campaigners who took to one of four stages, being from the community and from the North East. Something we’ll continue to champion, and applications for next year are already flooding in! We took the learns from our two incredibly successful virtual events and brought the festival to people's homes with our Live at Pride broadcasts, with thanks to our sponsor SmurfitKappa. We had a reach of over 275,000 and over 20,000 viewers engaging on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. A huge thank you to our media solutions partner, DW Media, and our hosts Journals of Dami and MXYM. As we took up more land, we were able to deliver more zones to the festival, with the introduction of a Sports Zone showcasing our amazing inclusive sports clubs from around the region. Our partnership with LGBT Northern Social Group grew with the introduction of their own community zone featuring our changing facilities to make it safer for people to travel to and from the event. With thanks to our Travel Partner, Nexus and Tyne and Wear Metro, we were able to enhance our accessibility offering with track matting making it easier for wheelchair uses to move around site, our raised platform and BSL interrupters returned, along with our high dependency unit and we introduced rentable ear protection for those that needed it. Our UK Pride campaign obtained global attention with a combined reach of over 442 million and 7.2 million views of our stories in the local and national press. Away from the festival, we saw some fantastic partnerships come to life, with the fundraising support of organisations like IKEA Gateshead, Amazon Gateshead, Home Bargains, Junk Yard Golf, Newcastle Thunder and many others. We were also able to sell over 8,000 pieces of merchandise, from badges to bags, to our regular lanyards, sponsored by NE1 and our wristbands, sponsored by Eldon Square; which saw wearers claim some fantastic discounts across the shopping centre. This doesn't include the merchandise sold through our partnership with Powder Butterfly and their collection (still onsite now!) All the monies raised were used to offset the cost of the festival to ensure it remains free for all to attend. Something we’re determined to work hard to maintain, even whilst we see costs raise and disposable income decrease. We know that as we head into 2023, we’ll continue to see challenges in delivering our events based activity but we are as always grateful to have the support of so many of our community, partners, supporters and sponsors. There are many ways in which you can help us keep our promise to Protect, Promote and Provide for the regions LGBTQIA+ community. You too can hold a fundraising event like those that did this year, you can buy merchandise with new products and new designs landing regularly. You can encourage your employer or company to sponsor a part of the festival, one of our satellite events or campaigns. Or even book our new Proud Allies training in partnership with our good friends Curious Arts. You could purchase a Platinum Pass and take advance of our new and improved Platinum experience with thanks to our returning sponsor, Bobbys Newcastle. You could also apply to take part in the festival, from performing to delivering workshops. You could run a market stall, and walk in the March. You could join our team as a volunteer or part of the organising group. The possibilities are endless! So it is fair to say, for an incredibly hard year, we have a lot to be grateful for! So as we say, thank you 2022, we get ready to welcome 2023. The political and social landscape is tough for our community right now and thats why we’re more determined than ever to ensure our events, campaigns and outreach work focuses on amplifying the voices of our community throughout the year, with our festival returning July 22nd to 23rd and our mission the same, to remember our past, resist oppression and rise up to challenge and fight for equal rights for all. I hope you’ll join us. Ste Dunn, Northern Pride Director and the Northern Pride Committee.