Helston hosts its first Pride event filled with music, fun and lots of rainbows

Helston’s Coronation Park and Boating Lake was awash with rainbows today for the town’s very first Pride event.

Organised by Helston Community College’s Pride group, with the support of Helston Town Council, the event began at 11am and will continue until 2pm.

Sarah-Jane Marsden, who helps runs the Pride group at the college, said it was the students themselves who were the driving force for the event.

Will shows off some colourful rainbow contact lenses (Image: Helston Packet)

“This was their idea, because it was very difficult for them to access Prides in other towns without coming out to the parents,” said Sarah-Jane.

“They wanted a local Pride so we made it happen.”

Sarah-Jane went on to add: “I think life is really hard for teenagers, particularly the LGBTQ+ teenagers and particularly in this current climate.

Aimee and Melody dressed for the occasion (Image: Helston Packet)

“They feel very isolated and many of them haven’t got anyone to talk to about this. It’s about demonstrating there is a wide community of people who are like them.

“We have got young people performing, as well as Helston Theatre Group; it’s very student led.”

Paul King from the Eddystone Trust with Francis and Jules from the Intercom Trust (Image: Helston Packet)

Guy Watson, creative producer for community engagement at Coronation Park, has also been involved in helping organise the event through his new role.

He told the Packet: “What’s really important is that it came from the school. I think that’s really unusual and rare.

Deborah showing off some fabulous rainbow nails (Image: Helston Packet)

“It’s fun and celebratory, and a safe experience to be here. Any Pride event is born out of the fact that it’s not safe every day to be someone from the LGBTQ+ community.

“The hope is that the feeling we create today is one that will be permanent in the park in the future – but we have got a way to go to get to that.”

Entertainment over the three-hour event includes live music from Helston Community College’s youth bands and soloists, along with an open-mic session available for anyone to take part in.

There is also an exhibition of entries for a diversity-themed art competition on show, with food and drink to buy and of course lots and lots of rainbows.

People are encouraged to take along their own picnic, or buy food and drink from the Boating Lake Café.

Rainbow flags galore from Alyson, Will and Gary (Image: Helston Packet)

Stands there include a teddy tombola from Safe Haven Cornwall, an organisation supporting transgender and non-binary people, and the Intercom Trust, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community resource covering the South West, offering support and advice.

Also there is Eddystone Trust, an independent sexual health charity based in the South West, and Your Voice Cornwall, a women’s mental health support charity.

Mark Slater was feeling in the pink (Image: Helston Packet)

The event ties in with the Helston Wellbeing Fair taking place in the Old Cattle Market at the same time.

Among those attending was Deborah, who has been stashing rainbow flags and accessories for five years for such an event.

She summed up the feeling of many people there when asked what she thought about Helston hosting its first Pride event, saying: “It’s about blooming time!”