The Lamb Inn in Ashby-de-la-Zouch has celebrated another successful Ashby Pride after playing a central role in supporting and helping deliver the annual event, which attracted around 5,000 visitors to the town.
Held on Saturday 8 August, this year’s event featured Ashby Pride’s first-ever parade and saw thousands of people come together to celebrate diversity, inclusion and community spirit.
Supporting Pride has become an important part of the pub since the operators took over in August 2023. Having always been committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive venue, the team became involved with Ashby Pride when the event moved to Market Street the following year.
Since then, their involvement has continued to grow. The pub became the official afterparty venue in 2025, supporting performers and providing free food for volunteers. The operators have since joined the volunteer committee, chaired by Helen McArthur, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to help keep Ashby Pride going each year. Regular meetings are now held at the venue as preparations and fundraising continue throughout the year.
This year, that support continued both in the lead-up to Pride and on the day itself. Team members joined the town’s first Pride parade and welcomed volunteers and performers to the pub throughout the celebrations.
The Lamb Inn also transformed the interiors with hand-painted windows, Pride flags and an ever-evolving balloon arch. An outside bar and food trailer welcomed the crowds, with hopscotch for younger visitors, before drag karaoke continued the celebrations into the evening.
The venue also helped organise entertainment for the wider event, including headline act Kirby Frost, who appeared on The Voice UK, and its resident DJ, who performed throughout the day free of charge.
This year presented an additional challenge for the volunteer-led committee after lottery funding was declined, leaving an extra £20,000 to find. Costs were reduced and more sponsors came forward, with the operators also personally sponsoring the event. Drag artists volunteered their time, while the resident DJ performing for free saved £500.
Corey Davis, Operator of The Lamb Inn, said: “Pride means a huge amount to us and our team. We’ve always wanted the pub to be somewhere everyone feels welcome, so seeing around 5,000 people come together this year and watching the first parade make its way through town was incredibly special.
“Being part of the committee has shown us just how much Ashby Pride means to people. We’re proud to play our part and we want to keep doing everything we can to make next year even bigger and better.”
Fundraising for next year is already getting underway. The pub is hosting a Ladies Night led by drag artist Miss TUTU, with profits from ticket sales after entertainment costs going directly towards next year’s Pride fundraising.
The team is also hoping more businesses and organisations will come forward to sponsor next year’s event and help the celebrations continue to grow.