Staffordshire’s Archives and Heritage service to make history at first Stafford Pride Festival

Staff from Staffordshire County Council’s Archives and Heritage service will make history this weekend by taking part in the first-ever Stafford Pride Festival.

The team will join the Pride Parade to introduce their new ‘Pride in Our Past’ LGBTQ+ Community History Project.  They will also  use the occasion to spread the message that everyone is welcome at the soon-to-open Staffordshire History Centre.  Both the project and history centre are being funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund who have provided £4,858,699 towards the new centre.

Joining the parade will be Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Culture who said: “We’re all really excited to be part of the first-ever Stafford Pride Parade and to celebrate our new project.

“Staff have been busy designing the mini float and we can’t wait until Saturday.  We’re determined to make our service as inclusive as possible and as part of the Staffordshire History Centre project, we’ll be working closely with communities to diversify our archive and museum collections and create new content for the History Centre when it opens later this year.

“The project and our new history centre are being funded by the Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players and we’re extremely grateful for the funding.” 

The ‘Pride in Our Past’ history project will champion diversity and inclusion.  It  will document and share lived experiences and expand LGBTQ+ representation across collections.  It will also help preserve LGBTQ+ histories for current and future generations to enjoy and learn from.

The new Staffordshire History Centre, on Eastgate Street in Stafford is due to open later this year.  The project will incorporate Staffordshire Record Office and the heritage building that formerly housed the William Salt Library.  A four-storey extension will allow for 50 more years of archives storage, while a modern exhibition space will give visitors the chance to explore the collections.

People can see the team’s specially themed ‘Pride in Our Past’ float during the Pride Parade on 10th August, preceding the main festival event in Victoria Park.

More about the Pride in Our Past History Centre project.