Love Conquers All: Pride bench in Hitchin, North Hertfordshire restored after being “deliberately set on fire”

A Pride bench in Hitchin, North Hertfordshire has been restored after being “deliberately set on fire”.

North Herts Pride, a local non-profit dedicated to supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community across North Hertfordshire, said the support they received – through donations and messages – from the community has been “completely wild”.

Chair of North Herts Pride, Kit Rees, said: “We started off having picnics on Windmill Hill and we thought it was a good idea to put a bench there.

“The bench is symbolic and acts as a safety beacon in a very visible location.

“We cannot ensure this won’t happen again, but it is about trying to mitigate the hate as much as it is trying to replace it with love.”

Over £2,000 was raised through JustGiving and there are plans to install more Pride benches throughout North Hertfordshire.