Portsmouth Pride Trust’s Post

I always think it takes a day or two to fully reflect on an event, so looking back now at Sunday where we hosted the Portsmouth Pride Stakeholder Network and recognised World AIDS Day in a stunning gathering at The Queens Hotel Portsmouth. I'm truly honoured to have led this work developing our partnerships and connections across the city ahead of us hosting UK Pride '25, and to see so many wonderful partners, stakeholders, community, civic and corporate organisations coming together was very moving. Then adding the incredible speakers in as well who spoke so passionately about lived experience as well as the city-wide and national projects surrounding HIV that our city is engaged in made for a very emotional evening. Thank you to Stephen Morgan MP for opening the event and for rallying the city being Portsmouth Pride, and all the work you've been doing nationally for our city. To Rob Mee from UK Pride Organisers Network for speaking so passionately about your experience living with AIDS as well as supporting our hosting of UK Pride '25. To Oliver Brown and the Terrence Higgins Trust for inspiring our guests and being such a captivating and passionate speaker. To Hannah Byrne for leading our city's work so expertly and being such an advocate not only for reducing HIV stigma but also for our wider LGBTQ+ community's health. And finally to Andrew and Justine Major who joined us ahead of Andrew's solo row across the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Over 150 organisations from across the city were represented, we raised money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and secured a sponsor to see Cherry Liquor join Paul Carruthers Mr Gay World 2024 at the front of the Portsmouth Pride Parade in 2025 where we'll be hosting UK Pride '25. And they all got to see our incredible new brand, developed by the team at Liquid Friday to truly represent us as a charity, community, and city in hosting UK Pride '25. Thank you to my fellow trustees and volunteers for making the event happen, all of our incredible partners and supporters and everyone who came along in the name of collaboration 👏 Photos from the incredible C Goble of Goble Photography