Margate Pride awarded £124k from National Lottery for project celebrating region's LGBTQ+ history
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Margate Pride has been awarded a £123,968 grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver an ambitious 18-month project celebrating the region’s LGBTQ+ history.
The initiative, titled The Heritage Hotline: Thanet’s LGBTQ+ History from the 1960s to 2000s, will research, document and archive stories spanning five decades of queer life in Margate and Thanet. Organisers say the project aims to honour older LGBTQ+ voices while inspiring younger generations with a deeper understanding of their cultural lineage.
The programme will include training, archiving and oral history work, alongside a public engagement campaign to raise awareness of the area’s rich queer heritage. A physical archive will be housed at the Bishopsgate Institute, with a smaller collection at the Margate Queer Library & Archive, while a digital version will be hosted by Queer Heritage South.
Legacy outputs will feature a radio series and podcast in partnership with Margate Radio, as well as a zine and online archive, ensuring these histories remain accessible and shareable.
The timing is significant: the project coincides with Margate Pride’s 10th anniversary in 2026 and the 60th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK under the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
Mia Pollak of Margate Pride said: “We are thrilled to have received support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can reflect, celebrate and archive the LGBTQ+ history of Margate and Thanet - preserving our past and learning for our future.”
Founded in 2016 as a small parade, Margate Pride has grown into a major annual event attracting thousands. Beyond the summer festival, the organisation runs year-round socials, exhibitions and advocacy work, including Tea Time Socials for LGBTQ+ people over 50.
