Medway Pride CIC

Medway Pride CIC (Community Interest Company, Reg. No. 13428352) is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit community interest company based in Rochester, Kent, England, that serves the Medway unitary authority. Founded in 2021, Medway Pride CIC organizes the annual Medway Pride Festival and Parade, a LGBTQIA+ celebration event in south-east England, alongside support services and community initiatives. The organization aims to promote equality, diversity, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community in Medway whilst eliminating discrimination on grounds of [...] orientation and gender identity.

History

Early planning for a Medway Pride event began in 2018-2019, when community activists Natasha Steer and Martha Abernathy initiated planning for an inaugural Medway Pride festival scheduled for 2019. However, due to insufficient fundraising, the 2019 event did not proceed. In early 2020, Hilary Cooke, CEO of the Medway Gender & [...] Diversity Centre (MGSD Centre), was approached by local charities to revive the Pride initiative. This led to the formation of a steering group during summer 2019 that included Cooke, representatives from Metro Charity, Helanna Bowler-Irvine (CEO of Gravesham Pride), and members of the original 2019 planning team. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the planned August 2020 physical Pride event was cancelled; instead, Medway Pride collaborated with Gravesham Pride CIC to produce the Gravesham & Medway Virtual Pride 2020, an eight-day online festival.

Medway Pride Community Organisation was formally established as a Community Interest Company on 28 May 2021, with the registered office at 331 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1DA—the location of the MGSD Centre. The CIC was established to formalize fundraising efforts and manage the organization’s objectives on a non-profit basis, operated by volunteers. The organization’s initial Board of Directors comprised Hilary Cooke (Chair), Shea Coffey, and Helanna Bowler-Irvine. By 2025, the directorate had expanded to include Angela Rose Stokes, David Roger Stokes, Jody Elizabeth Carrington, Nathan Ross Danny Morgan, Craig Attwater, and Rachel Norman. Medway Pride CIC's funding comes from National Lottery Community Fund grants, public and private sector sponsorship, donations, and business partnerships.

Events

The inaugural physical Medway Pride Festival took place on 21 August 2021 at Rochester Riverside Walk, Doust Way, marking Medway’s first large-scale in-person Pride event. Organized in collaboration with Medway Council, Countryside, Hyde Housing, and the Rochester Riverside Community Fund, the event attracted approximately 4,000 attendees and featured performances from ABBA tribute act ABBA Chique, River Medway, and singer-songwriter Gary Lucas. From 2022 onwards, Medway Pride relocated its main festival to Rochester Castle Gardens and High Street. The festival features a Pride Parade commencing along Rochester High Street proceeding via Boley Hill to Rochester Castle, followed by an all-day festival in the castle grounds. The parade welcomes over 500 registered participants representing LGBTQIA+ groups, local organizations, businesses, and community allies. The festival grounds host a program of entertainment complemented by a market place and information stalls from NHS services, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Services, and voluntary sector organizations. Notable performers have included X Factor winner Louisa Johnson (2024), Britain’s Got Talent 2024 winner Sydnie Christmas (2025), and performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race including River Medway and Drag Queens from the Loco Cabaret. The parade and festival serve simultaneously as both celebration and protest, rooted in the history of Pride as a civil rights demonstration. Medway Pride 2025 (the 5th anniversary event) was scheduled for 16 August 2025 at Rochester Castle Gardens.

Activities

Medway Pride Radio is an internet-based community radio station founded on 1 February 2021 by Shea Coffeyy and Hilary Cooke to support LGBTQIA+ History Month. Operated by volunteers and based at the MGSD Centre in Rochester’s INTRA area, the station broadcasts programs covering diverse music genres and community-focused content.

The Medway Pride Fringe is an annual week-long program of cultural, artistic, and educational events held during the lead-up to the main Medway Pride Festival (typically in early-to-mid August). Fringe events take place throughout venues in the INTRA area of Chatham and Rochester, as well as other Medway locations, and have included guided LGBTQIA+ History walks, art workshops, drag performances, live music from local bands, film screenings, and theatrical productions.

Each February, Medway Pride CIC coordinates exhibitions during national LGBTQIA+ History Month in partnership with Nucleus Arts and INTRA Arts, held at locations across Medway from February through August. These exhibitions showcase creative works from community members. The exhibitions align with annual thematic frameworks established by the organization.

Medway Pride CIC administers the Medway Pride Fund, a fundraising initiative that accepts donations from the public to support the organization’s annual events and services for the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, Medway Pride operates a lottery scheme.

Community partnerships and support

Medway Pride CIC partners with numerous organizations and public bodies. The NHS, specifically Medway NHS Foundation Trust, participates annually in the Pride Parade with staff representatives and maintains visibility through the NHS Rainbow Badge Scheme to signify LGBTQIA+-supportive clinical staff. Kent Police maintains an LGBT+ Network and participates in Pride events as part of community engagement efforts. Medway Council has historically supported the event, and Medway Pride has developed ongoing partnerships with cultural organizations including Nucleus Arts (an arts organization that focuses on affordability and accessibility) and INTRA Arts. The MGSD Centre, a project supported by Medway Pride CIC, provides services for LGBTQI+ people and evolved from the South East Gender Initiative (SEGI), founded in October 2011 to support transgender individuals and their communities.