The LGBT+ community, family and friends in the community met at the Town Hall on 20th September to set out the aims for the future of the annual Pride Event in Midsomer Norton.

Organised under the wing of the Midsomer Norton Community Trust in 2017 and 2018, the feeling of the meeting was that the work begun by Nik Jovcic-Sas and Grant Johnson had grown into an event which needed an organising committee and membership to help share the workload.

It was, therefore, agreed to create a membership group called ‘Midsomer Norton Pride, part of the Midsomer Norton Community Trust’, on the basis that there was a strong desire to continue working as part of the Trust who had done so much to help the event develop and grow since its inception.

The new membership discussed and then voted on a set of aims and objectives for Pride. Its aims are to unashamedly represent Midsomer Norton, the wider Somer Valley, and unapologetically stand up for the rights of the LGBT+ community. Midsomer Norton Pride is for everyone in our community to celebrate together on the basis that we are all stronger together.

There are several objectives:

• Community: To bring the community together to celebrate, create understanding, opportunities for engagement and to tackle discrimination; and to hold safe and positive events and opportunities for everyone to connect with the established community.

• Social: To challenge hearts and minds and to be a beacon of positive social diversity, both here in the UK and the 77 countries where it is still illegal to be LGBT.

• Education: To work with the local community to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues as a basis for presenting positive attitudes, role models and ultimately, an inclusive society.

• Campaign: To not only help shape policy and procedure, but to engage in the local and wider political landscape to not only maintain but also to further human rights for LGBT communities everywhere.

The new ‘Pride Members’ then elected officers, Grant Johnson as Chair, Paul Myers as Secretary, and Matthew Livsey as Treasurer. A Committee was then voted in, including: Lauren Barnes, Sean Boon, Sarah Wright and Patricia Flagg.

The new Committee agreed to meet as soon as possible to begin to develop a year-round programme of activities and events, including the Annual Pride Event in June 2020. For details, visit the Facebook page: @MidsomerNortonPride.