Pride in Luton celebrates £229,000 grant from The National Lottery

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Pride in Luton is celebrating securing a £229,991.16 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to carry on their vital work over the next three years.

The funding will allow Pride in Luton to recruit their first full time member of staff to help drive forward the development of the charity, alongside a 1-2-1 support worker for Trans and non-binary adults. The funding will also secure the future of their four support and social groups that run and attracts over 80 people a month, whilst being connected and reducing isolation in the LGBTIQ+ Community. These groups include:

1st Tuesday of each month – Trans+ Admin Support Group: For trans and non-binary adults (18+) to come together, build friendships and access support and guidance.

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2nd Wednesday of each month – Proud Parents Network: For parents who have LGBTIQ+ children or are LGBTIQ+ themselves to meet others and share experiences and learning.

Pride in Luton with large cheque. (Left to Right: Karol Augustyn, Co-chair of Pride in Luton, Joan Bailey, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Cllr Tahmina Saleem, Mayor of Luton and Scott Griffwood, Trustee of Pride in Luton)Pride in Luton with large cheque. (Left to Right: Karol Augustyn, Co-chair of Pride in Luton, Joan Bailey, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Cllr Tahmina Saleem, Mayor of Luton and Scott Griffwood, Trustee of Pride in Luton)
Pride in Luton with large cheque. (Left to Right: Karol Augustyn, Co-chair of Pride in Luton, Joan Bailey, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Cllr Tahmina Saleem, Mayor of Luton and Scott Griffwood, Trustee of Pride in Luton)

3rd Sunday of each month – Sunday Socials: An opportunity for everyone to come together, reduce isolation and catch up with others. Arts and crafts, games and regular activities take place. Everyone is welcome with the youngest attendee being 2 and the oldest 84.

4th Tuesday of each month – Queer and Crafty: For those who enjoy crafting to bring along a project they are working on and share skills with others in a friendly and welcoming setting.

The funding will also support activation of the Fabulous Hatter, an LGBTIQ+ and allies friendly safe space based in the Hat Factory Arts Centre, programming of specific activity around key dates in the LGBTIQ+ communities’ calendar and for Pride to return to carnival each year.

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Speaking about securing the funding, Scott Griffwood, Trustee said, “We are delighted that thanks to support from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Community Fund we can continue to grow and support the LGBTIQ+ community in Luton and Bedfordshire. As one of the few providers of services in Bedfordshire we have found our groups and services to be a vital lifeline to the community and in some cases literally saving lives.”

“This funding will help us continue to work with partners to make Luton and Bedfordshire a more inclusive and welcoming place for those who identify as part of the LGBTIQ+ community”.

The funding was announced as part of the LGBTIQ+ History month launch that took place on Thursday 30th January.

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.

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As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

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