Four fantastic days at the Great Yorkshire Show marked an exciting moment for Out Together as we officially launched Out in the Country.
With around 35,000 visitors each day, the scale of the show was incredible. Over the course of the week, we had thousands of conversations, gave away 220 Pride flags, and connected with people from every corner of Yorkshire and beyond. Our stand was a constant hub of activity, with visitors stopping by to take part in games, learn more about our work, or simply have a chat.
It was especially meaningful to hear so many personal stories about LGBTQ+ life in rural communities. Those conversations reinforced why this work matters. LGBTQ+ people live, work and thrive in every community, including our rural ones, and everyone deserves to feel seen, included and welcome.
The show also gave us a valuable platform to share Out in the Country, our programme bringing LGBTQ+ people together through rural events, activities and experiences. We know that living outside a major town or city can sometimes feel isolating, so it was encouraging to meet people keen to get involved and help us reach more communities.
Alongside meeting visitors and members, we built promising new relationships with organisations and potential partners. These connections will help us expand our reach and create more opportunities across Yorkshire.
We were proud to welcome visits from BBC, ITV, Hits Radio and Your Harrogate, as well as Christine Talbot, Billy Bowness and the Minister for Farming, following our earlier meeting at a DEFRA event. Their interest and support helped shine a light on the importance of this work.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who made the week possible. Our volunteers were outstanding, including support from Living Potential, who we’re excited to be working with ahead of our upcoming farm day on 5 September. Thank you also to everyone who helped organise the stand, welcomed visitors and represented Out Together so brilliantly.
We came away feeling proud, energised and excited about what comes next.
At Out Together, we believe LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere. So we’ll be everywhere too.
Thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome. We hope to see many of you again soon at an Out in the Country event.
