People are 'crying out for it' say Sherborne Pride organisers

The event will see entertainment across Sherborne starting with a parade through the town centre

The organiser of a new pride event coming to Dorset said it has "been a long time coming".

Sadie Wilkins is behind Sherborne Pride, which is due to march into the town on 7 July.

She said she had been "toying with the idea" for a few years and that the response has been positive.

Ms Wilkins said organisers were not naïve and knew the event would not be appreciated by everyone in the area.

She said: "We're a very conservative, traditionally rural, north Dorset town."

But she said so far everyone has been positive and some people were "quite literally crying out for it".

Some pride events do already take place in Dorset, but at the moment the closest one to Sherborne is in Bournemouth.

The first Poole Pride will also take place this year, with events starting on 8 June.

Ms Wilkins said she believed that Sherborne was missing out.

She said: "In our region there's not really anything celebrating a message of inclusivity and love is love.

"It's going to mean a lot to a hell of a lot of people in the south west."

She added that all the town's schools and local businesses are involved in what she called "a great inclusive family day out".

Sherborne Pride will have comedy and pop-up street performances and the theme for the event is "love lives here".

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