Luton's 'Big Gay Family Picnic' event hailed a huge success

Luton's 'Big Gay Family Picnic' was hailed as a 'fantastic afternoon' after more than 120 people from the town's LGBT community turned out to enjoy the gathering at Stockwood Park.The event was held at Stockwood Discovery centre on Sunday afternoon and was hosted by The Pride in Luton team - who organised Luton'sfirst ever Pride festival on June 25.Revellers were treated to live music by singer-songwriter Emma Stevens and face-painting sessions were available for children.Pride in Luton treasurer, Scott Griffwood, said: 'We had a fantastic afternoon with over 120 members of the LGBT community and alliesjoining us for our Big Gay Family Picnic. We hope everyone enjoyed it.”Responses to a survey afterwards included glowing comments from those who attended.“Everyone was so friendly,” said one, while another added they had enjoyed “all of it, was lovely to be in a safe space”.“Great afternoon even if the husband did object to being outdoors,” said another.The Pride in Luton team will host an event for World Aids Day at the Hat Factory on December 1, with further events planned throughout thenext year.

A spokesman said: “Pride in Luton offers a safe and inclusive place for LGBTQ+ community to thrive and we look forward to seeing you atfuture events."

> This year’s Pride In Luton festival headlined by La Voix saw over 2,000 people attend a live concert in Bute Street and was hailed as anoverwhelming success, far exceeding organisers’ expectations.Photograghs: Tony Margiocchi