From being a “Saved Society” at the beginning of the year to winning an award at Cardiff University’s Society, Volunteering, and Media Awards, it has been a long, tough, but ultimately successful year for Cardiff University’s Pride Society. Failing to re-elect a core-committee at end of the 2023/24 academic year, Pride Society was set to disband. However, ten individuals bound together to form an entirely new committee to keep the society running, with myself being elected as one of the co-presidents.
Starting off on an unbalanced but strong foot, the Pride Society hosted two “Give It A Go” sessions, hosting both a club night and a sober coffee afternoon. With a focus on organising sober socials, Pride ensured to have a steady amount of coffee socials throughout the year. In the first term, turnout was building back up.
Two of the most successful socials included attending a Transgender Vigil with the Transgender+ (TANGGS) society. A vigil which showcased transgender and gender non-conforming people’s identities, including spoken word poetry and speeches Another was the joint charity quiz Pride did with the Make a Smile Foundation, raising over £120 for their charity. Rounding off a term of bar crawls, quizzes, and coffee socials was the Winter Ball at Revolution.
A night of celebrating queer joy and success, where people of a diverse range of backgrounds united. With an unofficial after-party at Kings, the Pride Society left 2024 on a high note. Going into 2025, the Pride Society began at the Refresher’s Fair, giving them the opportunity to network and meet a wide array of new students.
Beginning with another bar crawl, Pride Society followed up by attending and advertising at the LGBT+ Showcase. As co-president I was given the opportunity to deliver a speech, and I did so, speaking about the importance of community and supporting one another. To celebrate Pride History Month, Cardiff’s History society extended an invitation for a collaboration at a bar crawl.
Which ended in a chilled and fun night out. This was one of few collaborations the Pride Society accomplished this term. They put on a club night with the Fencing Society, going out to Cardiff’s YOLO at the Students’ Union.
Additionally, Pride teamed up with Cardiff Metropolitan’s Pride Society, where the committees teamed up to put on another successful quiz. Placing importance on supporting its members mental health, Pride put on a Wellbeing Social hosted by Charlie Wallace, the wellbeing officer, offering room for anyone to come and have a chat with a trusted individual in a safe space. Ending the term with another ball, Pride teamed up with the Transgender+ Society again, to host the end of year event at Revolution.
A fun night and a bittersweet but lovely send off to most of this year’s committee, and to a great year. The best moment all year for the Pride Society happened at Cardiff University’s Societies, Volunteering, and Media Awards. After nominating themselves for the Best Newcomer Award, Pride was one of four societies shortlisted alongside the American Students Society, RAG Society, and Vocaloid Society.
With all four societies deserving of the award, I was both surprised and honoured when the Pride Society was announced as the winner! With the award being a testament to how hard everyone, committee and non-committee, has worked to revive, uphold, and champion the Pride Society, allowing it to both expand and flourish.