With Pride just around the corner, let's meet the High Wycombe team.

Toni Brodelle (Chair)

As the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Wycombe, I fundamentally believe that we each have the right to live and love happily and free from abuse or persecution. I had attended Wycombe Pride for several years in solidarity with people close to me and with those across our community who are LGBTQIA+ and when the previous Chair asked for someone to step up so they could hand over the baton, I knew I needed to do so.

I have worked in education and supporting emotional wellbeing for almost 26 years and throughout that time, I have seen the challenges faced by young people who are in the process of working out who they are and where they fit within society. 1 in every 6 children or young people within a classroom will have some form of diagnosable mental health condition and it is a sad reality that this figure rises for those struggling with issues around sexuality or gender identity. The most effective support we can give to our children and young people is safe space and a loving, supportive environment to work things through. Wycombe Pride is the embodiment of that - it’s a truly beautiful, inclusive and non-judgmental celebration of humanity in all its technicolour brilliance. Looking around us, it's easy to see the negative things, particularly when faced with ignorance and hate, but Wycombe Pride is about celebrating the things which make us who we are and the fact that that diversity makes our world stronger and better.

I’m immensely proud to be part of a great team organising Wycombe Pride and of what we have already achieved for this year. I look forward to seeing the event grow and develop over the years to come.

Matt Young (Vice-Chair)

As the manager of O’Neill’s High Wycombe for over 10 years, one of my proudest achievements with the venue is the way that I have made it a hub of the community. Yes, it is primarily a drinking establishment, but to me, my team and our customers, it is so much more than that and Pride really is the pinnacle of this work. Wycombe Pride has gone from strength to strength, initially starting as a small-scale afternoon event held solely in the pub itself for over 18 year old punters, to being a family day and now, to becoming an entire weekend across a variety of venues across the town including; O’Neill’s, Flint Cottage, Sosh Club, Mad Squirrel and the Front Room Cafe.It is now a fully-inclusive event with something for everyone, irrespective of age, sexuality, gender or whether you drink or not. The events being held are a mixture of entertainment and education, and the collective aim is that we showcase the LGBTQIA+ community for what it truly is: a group of incredible people wanting fair representation and treatment in society. There has been so much anti-Pride/anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment across social media over the last 18 months and Wycombe Pride is just one small way in which we can stand united to show what we are really all about, and I am so proud to live in a place that is so welcoming and inclusive of everyone.

Steph Willis/Casadei (Secretary)

I want Pride to thrive and become a big party for everyone in Wycombe. When I had the opportunity to volunteer some time, I knew it was the right thing to do. It’s easy to attend and make comments or criticism, but actually being a part of helping to put it together is the only way things will continue to improve. Having been involved with Pride over the last 3 years, I’ve seen how much work goes into it, and I believe that it is important to be a part of something that you feel strongly about.

People in the LGBTQIA+ community are still on the receiving end of archaic homophobia from people who think we have some kind of agenda, as well as those who are just scared that gay people live amongst them. We don’t flaunt anything other than our creative and authentic selves, which some people would still rather we kept behind closed doors, rather than educating themselves. There are so many people who need educating and that is why they should attend Pride. We aren’t going anywhere.

Neil Brown (Treasurer)

As an educator and mental health peer support worker, I feel it’s massively important for young people to see that it’s okay to be whoever you want to be. I attended Wycombe Pride for the first time last year and I remember feeling the immense energy of the event and seeing how the community came together to celebrate the vibrancy of our town. So when the opportunity to become involved presented itself I knew I wanted to be a part of it all.

Wycombe is so diverse, and it’s important that we can come together as a community to allow everyone space to have pride in their story and who they are. I have also hosted local live music events to raise money for Mind, and I feel that now that more venues are involved in Pride, we can help Wycombe as a community to be a safe, accepting, inclusive place for everyone.

I am so looking forward to all the events for this year’s Wycombe Pride weekender and I can’t wait to see what it becomes in the coming years as we continue to work together to put on this tremendous celebration of love and inclusivity.