What Reading Pride does

Reading Pride Limited is a UK-registered charity (No. 1119891) and private limited company (No. 05041291) that organises the annual Love Unites Parade & Festival at King's Meadow, Reading. Founded in 2003 following a community debate in 2002, the first festival was held on 4 September 2004, making it the first town Pride festival in the United Kingdom. The organisation is governed by a board of approximately 7 Trustees (chaired by Kirsten Bayes) and a committee of around 20 unpaid volunteers; it has no paid staff and receives no council, government, or lottery funding. Attendance has grown to over 11,000 visitors annually and the parade regularly draws more than 2,000 participants. The festival is free to attend, with a suggested £5 donation on entry, and offers tiered paid experiences including the PridePlus premium enclosure and inclusive-sports pitches. Core revenue streams comprise corporate sponsorship (Main Stage, Colours and Fires, PrideXtra, Family Area, Inclusive Sports Area), PridePlus ticket sales, marketplace and food-trader pitch fees, on-the-day bar takings, suggested parade registration donations (£50–£100), year-round fundraising events (bingo, quiz nights, sports events), and a Reading Half Marathon charity partnership. Recent activity has expanded into a wholly-owned MyUmbrella LGBT+ awareness project (launched 2015), an NHS PrideInU wellness hub delivered with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Berkshire Hospital, and accessible programming including BSL interpretation, raised viewing platforms, and Alice Driver's Quiet Zone. The 2025 cycle required an explicit £100,000+ fundraising drive, including a public GoFundMe campaign, signalling emerging funding pressure on the volunteer-run model.

Name

Reading Pride

Legal name

Reading Pride Limited

Website

https://readingpride.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reading Pride Limited is a volunteer-run UK charity that produces the free annual Love Unites Parade & Festival at King's Meadow, Reading — the first town Pride in the UK since 2004 — serving the LGBT+ community and allies in the Thames Valley with attendance exceeding 11,000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Event Organization

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Pride & Identity Events (Pride, Cultural Identity Days) (MPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Parades, Carnivals & Street Fairs (MPAGAEAE), Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI)

Keywords

• Pride festival events
• Community event organizing
• LGBT+ community support
• Charity fundraising events
• Event sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Donations: Reading Pride operates as a free-to-attend event requesting voluntary donations of approximately £5 on entry from attendees. This model ensures accessibility for all community members regardless of financial means.
2. PridePlus Tickets: Premium ticket sales for the PridePlus enclosure offering exclusive bar service, cabin toilets, prime stage views, and sheltered seating. Limited capacity, sold on first-come-first-served basis.
3. Marketplace Stalls: Fees charged to traders and organizations for marketplace pitches at the festival, including charity stalls, community group displays, and commercial vendor spaces.
4. Food & Drink Trader Fees: Fees for food and beverage traders operating at the festival. The organization does not accept alcohol-related stalls as they operate their own bars.
5. Sponsorship: Corporate and organizational sponsorship for specific festival areas (Main Stage, PrideXtra, Colours and Fires, Family Area, etc.) and general event sponsorship. Sponsors provide financial support and/or products/services in exchange for branding exposure.
6. Fundraising Events: Year-round fundraising activities including monthly bingo nights, quiz nights, sports events, and community fundraising initiatives. Includes corporate giving and donation matching schemes.
7. Parade Registration Donations: Suggested donations from parade participants: £50 for small businesses/organizations and £100 for larger organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Reading Pride organizes and delivers the annual Love Unites Parade & Festival, a free-to-attend Pride event held at King's Meadow, Reading. The offering combines a Parade through Reading town centre with a full-day Festival featuring multiple live stages, a funfair, family area, marketplace, food/drink stalls, and an NHS PrideInU wellness hub, supported by premium PridePlus ticketed access, sponsorship packages, marketplace trader pitches, and membership schemes.

Product overview

Reading Pride is a community interest organisation — not a software product company — whose primary offering is the annual Love Unites Parade & Festival, a free community event held at King's Meadow in Reading. The core product consists of the Pride Parade and Festival itself. Supporting modules include the premium PridePlus Enclosure (a paid ticketed area with dedicated bar and stage views), multiple stages (Main Stage, Colours and Fires Stage, PrideXtra Stage, PrideDance), and area zones (Family Area, NHS PrideInU health hub, Inclusive Sports Area, Alice Driver's Quiet Zone). Adjacent products and services include a Marketplace for traders, Food & Drink stalls, Sponsorship packages, a Membership scheme, a Volunteering & Committee programme, the MyUmbrella LGBT+ awareness project, and the Reading Half Marathon charity partnership. These collectively support the organisation's mission of providing a free, inclusive Pride event for the LGBT+ community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyUmbrella LGBT+: A volunteer led project by Reading Pride to raise awareness of the lesser known identities across the sexuality, gender, romantic and fetish spectrums collectively known as LGBT+.
• Love Unites

Products and services

• Love Unites Parade & Festival Reading Pride's annual free-to-attend Pride Parade and Festival event held at King's Meadow in Reading. The Parade sets off from Reading Station and arrives at the Festival site around noon, featuring live entertainment across multiple stages, a funfair, family area, and food, drink, and market stalls. Open to the general public with a suggested £5 donation on entry.
• PridePlus Enclosure A premium ticketed area within the Love Unites Festival offering exclusive bar service, cabin toilets, and unrivalled views of the Main Stage. Limited capacity, sold on a first-come, first-served basis through the Outsavvy platform. Ticket revenue supports keeping the broader festival free to attend.
• Marketplace A marketplace area at the Love Unites Festival offering organisations, charities, and businesses the opportunity to promote products, services, and community work to festival attendees. Includes pitches for local interest groups, charities, and commercial traders, available for booking online from April through August.
• Food & Drink Stalls Food court offerings at the Love Unites Festival catering for approximately 10,000 attendees throughout the day, with a diverse range of food types. Alcohol stalls are not accepted due to licensing restrictions, with the organization operating its own bars instead.
• Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship opportunities for specific festival areas (Main Stage, Colours and Fires, PrideXtra, Family Area, Inclusive Sports Area, etc.) or the general event. Includes both financial contributions and in-kind support of services in exchange for brand visibility at the free-to-attend festival.
• Membership Membership scheme for Reading Pride as a membership-led charitable organisation. Members can vote at General Meetings including appointments to the Board of Trustees and receive year-round updates about Reading Pride activities.
• Reading Half Marathon Partnership Reading Pride serves as an Official Local Charity Partner of the Reading Half Marathon, offering free charity places to runners who fundraise a minimum of £250 for Reading Pride, taking place on Sunday 22nd March 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11,000 visitors attend the annual festival
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Unite the UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor and host of the Main Stage at Reading Pride 2025. Their generous support enables Reading Pride to host major entertainment acts like Jordan Gray on the main stage.
• CGIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAccessibility support sponsor providing British Sign Language interpreters on the Main Stage throughout the day and raised platforms for disabled viewing.
• SSEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Colours and Fires (formerly Pride aLive) acoustic stage for 10+ years. Supports local LGBT+ artists and bands.
• Herald ChasesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the PrideXtra community stage at Reading Pride.
• NikNaksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the PridePlus enclosure providing entertainment and support for the family area at Reading Pride.
• Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreates PrideInU pop-up health and wellbeing hub at Reading Pride featuring health checks, talking therapies, and NHS services outreach.
• B Radio BerkshiresupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing coverage and promotion of Reading Pride events.
• Nicely Done ProductionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner supporting Reading Pride coverage.
• Robby Dee PhotographysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotography media partner documenting Reading Pride events.
• Johnson MattheysupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• KeyloopsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• UNISONsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride, representing trade union support for LGBTQ+ community.
• UKAEA (UK Atomic Energy Authority)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• Baines SimmonssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• Kenyon InternationalsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• NovunasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporter of Reading Pride.
• LGBT+ Employee Resource GroupssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2025 supporters representing corporate LGBTQ+ employee networks.
• John Sykes FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal charity partner of Reading Pride, Friend of Reading Pride.
• Royal Berkshire HospitalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust on PrideInU wellness hub, providing sexual health screenings via Health Bus and research recruitment.
• Zebra TechnologiessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Inclusive Sports Area at Reading Pride, supporting LGBTQ+ sports inclusivity.
• BayersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Family Area at Reading Pride.
• NikNaksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides entertainment in the Family Area including discos, competitions, and drag queen story time.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Birmingham Pride: Birmingham Pride is a UK Midlands Pride festival with an annual parade, multi-stage event, marketplace stalls, and corporate sponsorship structure — comparable in event format and charitable/community operating model to Reading Pride.
• Nottingham Pride: Nottingham Pride is a UK regional Pride festival of similar scale to Reading Pride, with an annual parade, festival site, and volunteer-led charity structure — a direct size and model comparable.
• UK Black Pride: UK Black Pride is a UK-based LGBTQ+ charity running an annual Pride celebration focused on QTIPOC communities, with a similar volunteer/charity structure and sponsorship model — a direct mission peer for niche-community Pride events.
• Manchester Pride: Manchester Pride runs the Manchester Pride Festival and Parade, with a year-round charity (LGBT Foundation) and a Big Weekend event featuring paid VIP packages and corporate sponsorship — directly comparable as a UK city Pride with similar revenue streams.
• Pride in London: Pride in London organizes the UK's flagship Pride parade and festival, operating under a similar not-for-profit/charity structure with corporate sponsorship, marketplace stalls, and ticketed premium experiences — a comparable model at the largest UK scale.
• Cardiff Pride: Cardiff Pride is a Welsh Pride festival running a parade and festival with corporate sponsorship and free/donation entry — directly comparable to Reading Pride in size, regional scope, and volunteer-led charity structure.
• Edinburgh Pride: Edinburgh Pride is a Scottish Pride festival running a parade and community event with corporate sponsorship and free/donation entry — comparable as a UK regional Pride charity of similar volunteer-led scale and structure.
• Brighton Pride: Brighton & Hove Pride is one of the UK's largest Pride festivals, operating an annual parade and multi-stage event with paid VIP tiers, corporate sponsorship, and a community charity arm — directly comparable to Reading Pride in mission and event format, but at materially larger scale.
• Bristol Pride: Bristol Pride is a volunteer-led UK Pride festival of comparable scale to Reading Pride, running an annual parade, multi-stage festival, and community programming with corporate sponsorship and paid tiers — a close size and model match.

Broad incumbents

• Stonewall: Stonewall is the UK's largest LGBTQ+ rights charity, running campaigns, workplace programs, and an annual event calendar with corporate partnerships — comparable as a UK LGBTQ+ charity with corporate sponsorship, but operating at national advocacy scale rather than as a single Pride event.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Reading_Pride
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCthdGJCIc_ytIyQ22p9tcUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReadingPrideUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reading-pride-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/ReadingPrideUK
• TikToktiktok.com/@readingprideuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reading Pride