FOI Request 2187

Subject: Pride Events in 2025

Status: Complete

Date received: July 2025


Question Asked:

Please find my FOI request below.

NB if the events are planned in the future, please provide the information with that in mind.

  • Whether your organisation ORGANISED any events for Pride 2025. If so please provide the date, title/topic of the event, whether employees were being paid whilst they attended (and how many employees if they were being paid whilst in attendance), and whether employees attended in uniform or any clothing identifying them as employees of your service.

  • Whether your organisation participated in any events ORGANISED BY OTHERS for Pride 2025. If so please provide the date, title/topic of the event, whether employees were being paid whilst they attended (and how many employees if they were being paid whilst in attendance), and whether employees attended in uniform or any clothing identifying them as employees of your service.

  • Whether your organisation has organised any themed merchandise for Pride 2025. If so please provide me with information on what has been purchased, the process undertaken to find a supplier, and the cost.

  • Please provide a copy of any internal or external communications concerning Pride 2025.


Our Response:

Please see our response below to your Freedom of Information Request.

  • Whether your organisation ORGANISED any events for Pride 2025. If so please provide the date, title/topic of the event, whether employees were being paid whilst they attended (and how many employees if they were being paid whilst in attendance), and whether employees attended in uniform or any clothing identifying them as employees of your service.

    Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service did not organise any LGBT+ pride events of its own during Pride Month 2025.


  • Whether your organisation participated in any events ORGANISED BY OTHERS for Pride 2025. If so please provide the date, title/topic of the event, whether employees were being paid whilst they attended (and how many employees if they were being paid whilst in attendance), and whether employees attended in uniform or any clothing identifying them as employees of your service.

    During Pride Month 2025, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service attended:

    - Warrington Pride on Saturday 14 June: attended by four firefighters on duty in uniform and a member of the Service Leadership Team in a Service t-shirt in their own time.

    - Crewe Pride on Saturday 14 June: attended by four firefighters on duty in uniform and an on duty senior officer in uniform

    - Winsford Pride on Saturday 28 June: attended by four firefighters on duty in uniform, a member of the Service Leadership Team in their own time and an event colleague in a Service t-shirt.

    Fire crews attend Pride events as part of their normal working day and remain available to respond to the emergency calls if required.


  • Whether your organisation has organised any themed merchandise for Pride 2025. If so please provide me with information on what has been purchased, the process undertaken to find a supplier, and the cost.

    Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service will be attending a total of 13 local Pride events during 2025 as part of its broader program of community engagement activity. To support this engagement, a quantity of stickers, whistles and keyrings to the total value of £3,248.65 has been purchased from a budget ringfenced for local campaign and community engagement work. These were purchased from a reputatable local supplier after verbal quotes were sourced from a number of promotional companies.


  • Please provide a copy of any internal or external communications concerning Pride 2025.

    The following article was carried in the Service’s weekly internal bulletin on 3 June.

     

    Pride Month 2025

     

    June once again marks Pride Month, an opportunity to celebrate the contribution that lesbian, gay, bi, and trans+ (LGBT+) people make to our communities and commemorate all those who have fought for equal rights.

     

    If anyone would like a Service-branded rainbow lanyard to wear over the coming weeks (or indeed, at any other time), please help yourself to one from outside the restaurant at Headquarters. They are also available on request from XXXXX.

     

    Throughout the summer, the Service will be supporting around a dozen LGBT+ pride events across the county and beyond. The following events will be attended by the duty watch, all of whom would welcome any colleagues who want to join them:

     

    • Warrington Pride - Saturday 14 June, all day, Time Square and town centre

    • Crewe Pride – Saturday 14 June, 12pm – 7pm, Lyceum Square and town centre

    • Winsford Pride – Saturday 28 June, 3pm – 8pm, location TBC

    • Macclesfield Pride – Saturday 5 July, 10.30am – 6pm, Market Square

    • Halton Pride – Saturday 5 July, 12pm, Runcorn Linnets Football Club

    • Nantwich – Saturday 19 July, Civic Hall and town centre

    • Congleton Pride – Saturday 19 July, 10am – 4pm, Market Quarter

    • Alsager Pride – Saturday 2 August, Civic Hall and town centre

    • Sandbach Pride – Saturday 6 September, Sandbach Park

     

    Dates for Ellesmere Port and Holmes Chapel are to be confirmed.

     

    Our flagship Pride events will once again be Chester Pride on Saturday 16 August, and Manchester Pride on Saturday 23 August. These are hugely popular events, to which you are very welcome to bring family and friends. Places are, however, limited, so please XXXXXXXXX to reserve your place.

     

                    The following information was included in a larger piece about our equality, diversity and inclusion activity in our quarterly staff magazine in July:

     

    • we’re gearing up to take part in more than a dozen LGBT+ pride events over the summer, the Chester Pride Colour Run in July and Warrington Mela at the end of August


Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO

Back to FOI requests


Last updated: Friday, 23 January 2026


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