To celebrate Pride this year, Proud AF (Ampthill and Flitwick) hosted its annual Pride picnic in Ampthill Park, bringing the community together and creating a safe space for LGBT+ people.
In February 2023, Ampthill and Flitwick town councils collaborated to launch a new Pride initiative for the two towns, Proud AF.
Proud AF was established to bring together the queer community within Ampthill and Flitwick, as well as the surrounding Bedfordshire towns, to create a safe space for growth, acceptance, and support.
In recent months, debates around LGBTQ+ acceptance have grown “increasingly polarised”, with a notable surge in negative social media commentary targeting pride events and organisations like Proud AF.
This has a detrimental impact on the mental health of LGBT people and creates a stigma, resulting in fear from the community in stepping up and being part of these groups – something Proud AF is trying to combat.
To help promote pride in the area and re-establish a safe space amongst, Proud AF, along with the town councils, held a “pride picnic” on 8 June in Ampthill Great Park.
The aim of the picnic, which has been running since Proud AF was first established in 2023, is to celebrate all things queer joy and pride, and to bring the community together to establish a larger LGBT presence in Ampthill and Flitwick, where it has previously been lacking.
Visibility matters
The picnic was attended by over 250 people and included live music, crafts, a photo booth, a food truck, as well as booths set up by various organisations, all there to show their support for Pride.
“We came together to celebrate love, authenticity, and community. Pride events remind us why visibility matters—they create spaces for joy, connection, and continued progress toward equality,” says Cllr Andy Snape (Flitwick/Independent) on the importance of the event.
Proud AF has hosted a number of different events to bring the queer community together over the past 2 years, including:
- The annual Pride picnic in Ampthill Park
- Drag events such as bingo and cabaret performances
- Author events
- A community art project at Flitwick Library
- And a monthly walking group that is hoping to start up again soon
Proud AF works alongside LGBT Bedfordshire, another similar group that aims to provide queer people with a safe space and supportive community, as well as educate families and friends of LGBT individuals on how to be better allies.
Proud AF is seeking new members to help support them with fresh ideas and talent, creating a safe space and community for all queer people in the area.
For more information and to find out how to get involved, visit Proud Ampthill and Flitwick website or follow them on Facebook to contact Cllr Snape directly at andysnape@flitwick.gov.uk.
Published as part of our work experience partnership with Kimberley College
