A new grassroots initiative, Proud in Hitchin, is promoting the market town as a welcoming, safe weekend destination for LGBTQ+ visitors. The campaign highlights Hitchin's independent shops, cafés, bars, theatres, inclusive churches, Hitchin Town Football Club, and the town's lavender fields, and aims to make it easier for visitors to plan a short break that mixes culture, shopping, nature and nightlife.

What Proud in Hitchin offers

Independent shops and cafés — curated local places for relaxed meetups and unique finds.

Bars and theatres — venues that host inclusive nights and community events.

Inclusive churches and community spaces — faith and community groups that welcome all identities.

Hitchin Town Football Club — a local sporting hub and community anchor.

Lavender fields and countryside — quiet outdoor spaces for restorative walks and photos.

Early outreach and response

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Organiser Katie Wilson has begun contacting local and national LGBTQ+ groups and tourist information centres, and is reaching out to local partners to build a visible network locally and nationally of Hitchin as the perfect place for an LGBTQ+ break, possibly not considered before. Several outside the area organisations have already asked for posters to share , a promising sign in these early days. Katie will continue outreach in the coming weeks to confirm hosts and distribute materials. Several LGBTQ+ websites have also been contacted with the view of doing a blog about the town and it's attractions.

Community‑led and practical

Proud in Hitchin is intentionally independent and community‑led, prioritising small businesses and local voices rather than top‑down branding. The immediate plan is practical: the already designed poster and a digital version for all network and social media platforms.

"I want Hitchin to feel like a weekend people can relax into — full of friendly faces, great independent places, and things to do," says Katie Wilson, organiser of Proud in Hitchin. "It's early days, but the response so far is encouraging."

How to get involved

If you run a local business, community group, or visitor service and would like to display a poster or share a digital version -Katie can be contacted at [email protected]