We’re SO happy to welcome Nandos to our Medway Pride family! These guys bring flavour and inclusion to everything they do. Their senior bods create welcoming spaces and actively support LGBTQIA+ charities and causes. Having Nando’s behind us reminds us that visibility and allyship is important, thanks guys
The University of Kent has supported Medway Pride since the very beginning. Its commitment to supporting its LGBTQIA+ student is unwavering. For example, trans and non-binary students can apply to their gender affirmation fund for a grant of up to £100 for gender-affirming items like binders and haircuts, which can make a huge difference for students on a tight budget. They have four LGBTQIA+ societies across their campuses, including a POC society, which is one of only a dozen in the UK. Cheers guys, we hope to continue working you for years to come!
Haven’t visited Medway before? Don’t worry! We are easy to find and just as easy to get to.
You can find us in Kent, in the South East of the UK. London is under an hour away by train, and you have fantastic links to the rest of Kent and mainland Europe.
Medway is rapidly evolving, with the towns of Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester developing exciting arts scenes and cultural districts. You’re also surrounded by countryside and coast, with plenty of space to clear your head and explore nature. You get the best of both worlds!
Canterbury Christ Church University brings student power to Pride! The LGBTQIA+ Society there provides all sorts of support, and not just to students, they donate to charities like Mermaids, Porchlight, and Just Like Us too. SO much support for LGBTQIA+ young people in Medway, we thank them for it, and for being such amazing allies for so long!
Medway Pride CIC were succesful in their bid for frunding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This grant is provided by UK Government
Press Release Medway Pride 2025
Medway Pride CIC would like to announce that Medway Pride 25 will take place on August 16th in Rochester Medway, including a pride parade along Rochester High Street from 10.30am followed by an eight-hour festival from 12pm with local, national and international acts performing at Rochester Castle Gardens. There will also be Medway Pride Fringe Festival events taking place between the 8th and 16th Augusts at location within the INTRA area of Chatham / Rochester and other venues within Medway.
This will be the 5th anniversary of the 1st Medway Pride event which took place in 2021.
Medway Pride CIC raise funding for their events through a combination of Public & Private Grants, Sponsorship and Public Donations to the Medway Pride Fund. We would like to thank our current sponsors and supporters for their contributions for Medway Pride 25
The event has historically been free to attend but this year we were unsuccessful in our bids for some of the grant funding we applied for leaving a shortfall in our budget for the event.
We are therefore still seeking additional sponsor organisations and public donations to meet the shortfall amount. Organisations wishing to sponsor Medway Pride 25 or those wishing to donate to Medway Pride Fund can find more information at www,medwaypride.co.uk.
One way we can raise funds for the event is to link the event tickets to a donation amount to cover the shortfall in grant funding. Medway Pride CIC will be announcing ticket options via their social media and website before the end of June
Thank you to all our sponsors, fundraisers and those who donate to support Medway Pride CIC.
Kind regards
Hilary Cooke
Chair Medway Pride
Note for editor
Medway Pride CIC is a Community Interest Company managed by volunteers. All funds raised go towards providing our services, creating and producing events for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Medway Pride 25 will be the 5th pride event held in Medway by Medway Pride CIC.
Pride events, also known as a pride parade, festival, or march, is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community’s social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. These events often include parades, rallies, community gatherings, and other activities, and they frequently serve as demonstrations for LGBTQIA+ rights. Pride events are held throughout the year, but many are concentrated in June, which is designated as Pride Month in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots in New York on 28th June 1969, which lead to LGBTQIA+ Civil Rights Protest Marches to seek equal rights.
Medway Pride Supporters
Medway Pride CIC 331 High Street Rochester ME1 1DA, www.medwaypride.co.uk
In a continually evolving world we help businesses, not for profit organisations, private individuals and families embrace change through trusted advice, support and guidance.
Our passion for continued improvement ensures that we work to understand your goals, support and advise you on your journey and help you to realise your ambitions.
Guiding you to a brighter future.
Medway Pride CIC say thank you to members of the public , businesses and organisations that donate to the Medway Pride Fund to help find our events and support services.
We would not be able to produce the events and services without your help
To keep everyone safe we ask visitors to the Medway Pride Festival to follow the rules on our tickets. Here is a list of items you can not bring to the event, and advice on what you should not do at the event.
Not Permitted
Please do not bring anything on this list to Medway Pride as it will be confiscated by security at the entrance. We have no safe storage at the event, if you have items that are not allowed and hand them to security, we cannot guarantee their safe return. Please do not risk items being lost
Any item which may reasonably be considered for use as a weapon (incl. pen knives and metal cutlery)
Any alcohol, (There will be bars available on site, our licensing means we need to control the use of alcohol at the event)
Stickers, flyers, or advertising material,
Fireworks, flares, smoke canisters, Chinese lanterns, laser equipment/pens, toy guns, water guns, slingshots
Illegal substances (incl. laughing gas/balloons)
Glass (of any kind)
Personal motorised vehicles or drones (except a mobility scooter)
Klaxons, air horns, megaphones, portable speakers (or other similar items capable of making loud noise)
Anything else not permitted by the Code of Conduct below
Code of Conduct for All Participants
Medway Pride is a celebration of diversity and equality, and all attendees are expected to embrace and respect this diversity and equality.
You are required to have read, understood and agreed to this Code of Conduct before attending the event in any capacity. If you do not agree to this Code of Conduct, you must not attend the event. Any questions should be directed to Medway Pride CIC.
We will not tolerate any threatening, violent or offensive behaviour against our volunteers, staff, other attendees, police, security personnel, or members of the public.
We will not tolerate any individual or group making derogatory remarks about a person’s sexuality, gender identity, race, age, nationality, disability, appearance, religion, political belief or any other factor. Anyone who displays behaviour that contravenes this rule can expect to be removed from the event immediately.
Any individual infringing the bodily integrity of other participants will be immediately removed from the event. (If you are in a parade group, your group may also be removed from the parade).
There are clear legal guidelines regarding alcohol, drugs, public nudity, etc, which participants are expected to abide by. Laws must always be obeyed. Please remember, this is a family friendly event.
Hand sanitizer in the original packaging with intact manufacture labelling is permitted.
No objects are to be thrown at attendees (including at parade spectators on the parade route). This includes the use of silly string, party poppers and water pistols.
You are not permitted to play amplified music without prior written permission.
Every participant is responsible for their own litter. Littering is prohibited by law. There will be opportunities to dispose of litter at the festival site. Please use the bins provided.
If you see or are notified of any incident that would break this Code of Conduct or the law, please notify the Medway Pride 25 Security team immediately. Anyone found to have failed to report any incidents may face being removed from the parade and refusal into the main event.
We (Medway Pride CIC and the security team) reserve the right to refuse entry, or remove anyone, who does not follow this Code of Conduct or behaves inappropriately (see Consequences of Failing to abide by the Code of Conduct below).
Last Updated: 09/08/2025 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment
Medway Pride Sponsors and Partners
Medway Pride CIC would like to thank all our Sponsors and Parners including everyone who donated to our Medway Pride Fund. We would not be able to produce our events without your fabulous support.
Thank you all
Hilary Cooke Chair Medway Pride CIC