Swindon & Wiltshire Pride secures £69,500 from National Lottery to explore county's LGBTQ+ history

A major new heritage project exploring two centuries of Wiltshire’s LGBTQ+ history is set to begin after Swindon & Wiltshire Pride secured a £69,500 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The scheme, titled We Were Always Here, aims to document the stories, struggles and achievements of LGBTQ+ people across the county - many of which have never been formally recorded.

Announced on Monday, 9 March the funding will support an ambitious programme of research, community engagement and public education spanning Wiltshire’s queer social history from the early 18th century through to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2014. Organisers say the project will shine a light on how LGBTQ+ people lived under criminalisation and heavy social stigma, and how lives changed as legal reforms gradually expanded equality.

A central element of the initiative will involve gathering first-hand accounts from older LGBTQ+ residents, particularly those who lived through the period before homosexuality was partially decriminalised in 1969. Project heritage interpretation lead Kate Parsons said the team hopes to hear from people now in their 70s and 80s to ensure their experiences are not lost to time. “[We’d] like to capture these stories and experiences before those voices are lost,” she said. 

The project will produce a travelling exhibition designed for schools, libraries and community venues, telling the story of Wiltshire’s queer history over two centuries. A permanent version will eventually be housed at the Pride Hub in Swindon town centre. An illustrated history book will be distributed free to senior schools, colleges and libraries across the county, and new online historical resources will be published on the charity’s website. 

To support the research and community outreach, Swindon & Wiltshire Pride is recruiting for several paid project roles - including a project coordinator, oral history coordinator, heritage interpretation creators, a project evaluator and a PR consultant - alongside a call for volunteers to assist with research and personal testimony collection. The charity will work in partnership with Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre and Swindon Local Studies Library. 

James Fraser, Vice-Chair of Swindon & Wiltshire Pride, welcomed the Heritage Fund backing, calling the project “an important step in uncovering and preserving the hidden history of the LGBTQ+ community in Wiltshire”. He thanked National Lottery players for helping make the work possible.

The project arrives as the organisation continues preparations for its annual Pride festival, scheduled to take place at GWR Park in Swindon on 15 August 2026.

We Were Always Here marks one of the most significant local LGBTQ+ heritage initiatives in the region, offering schools, community groups and future generations a richer, more inclusive understanding of Wiltshire’s social history.