A major community heritage project exploring more than two centuries of LGBTQIA+ history in Wiltshire has received a £69,500 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The funding has been awarded to Swindon & Wiltshire Pride for a new initiative titled We Were Always Here, which aims to uncover and document the hidden social history of LGBTQIA+ communities across the county.
The project will examine life from the early 18th century through to modern times, covering a period when strict laws criminalised same-sex relationships through to the introduction of equal marriage rights in 2014.
Organisers say the research will focus on the lived experiences of ordinary people in Wiltshire, exploring how members of the LGBTQIA+ community navigated changing social attitudes across generations.
As part of the project, several resources will be created to share the findings with the public.
These include a travelling exhibition designed for both indoor and outdoor display, which will be available for loan to schools, organisations and community venues. The exhibition will eventually have a permanent base at the Pride Hub in Swindon town centre.
A concise illustrated history book will also be produced and distributed free of charge to senior schools, colleges, libraries and LGBTQIA+ organisations throughout Wiltshire.
In addition, a set of online historical resources will be published on the Pride organisation’s website to ensure the research remains freely accessible.
The project will be delivered in partnership with Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre and Swindon Local Studies Library, with support from heritage specialists including Kate Parsons, who will act as Heritage Interpretation Design Lead, and historian Andrew Foyle.
To help deliver the work, Swindon & Wiltshire Pride is recruiting several paid project roles, including a Project Coordinator, Oral History Coordinator, Heritage Interpretation Creators, a Project Evaluator and a PR Consultant.
The organisation is also encouraging volunteer researchers and contributors to take part.
Applications for the paid roles close on 13 April 2026.
James Fraser, Vice-Chair of Swindon & Wiltshire Pride, said the project would help ensure important stories are preserved.
He said: “We’re excited to be able to start work on ‘We Were Always Here’. This is an important project which will help us uncover and preserve the hidden history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Wiltshire.
“Thank you to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for helping make this possible.”
Heritage Interpretation Design Lead Kate Parsons said the project hopes to gather memories from older members of the community.
She said: “We hope very much to hear from people who were in or around the LGBTQIA+ community before homosexuality was partially decriminalised in 1969.
“Members of the community who were adults before the legal change will now be around 80 years old, and we’d like to capture these stories and experiences before those voices are lost.”
More information about the project and how to get involved can be found on the Swindon & Wiltshire Pride website.
