Boston to hold its first Pride event this summer

The event will take place in Boston on Saturday 26 July

Boston is set to host its first Pride event this year.

It will take place in Central Park on Saturday 26 July and will feature music and entertainment along with stalls, food vendors and activities.

Boston Borough Council deputy leader Dale Broughton said the event would show the market town as being an inclusive community for all, "regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or sexuality".

At a meeting of the authority on Thursday, he said £25,000 in funding had been secured for the event, and that would cover the cost of the infrastructure and most of the acts and entertainment.

The estimated overall cost for the event, which was proposed by council leader Anne Dorrian, will be £36,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Broughton said: "The events team sought the advice and guidance of the organiser of East Coast Pride, which was very successful for Skegness and for local businesses, with major companies like Butlins and East Midlands Railway getting involved.

"This shows how important an event like this can be in attracting different organisations and bringing the town together."

Barrie Pierpoint, chairman of the council's Boston Town Area Committee, said: "It's a great opportunity for Boston to show that it is inclusive, that it cares about everybody, and that we want people to come here and be proud of the fact we are doing things we don't normally do."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.