The man behind Nottingham’s Rainbow Road in Hockley been honoured as part of a special awards ceremony to celebrate LGBT+ History Month in the city.
Arran Heys from Nottingham City Council was responsible for organising the four vibrant zebra crossing style flags that were permanently painted on Broad Street in Hockley last summer.
He received an award from Notts Rainbow Heritage, a voluntary organisation that focuses on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history of Nottingham.
The group hosted the awards evening at the Council House in Market Square on 26 February, to coincide with UK LGBT+ History Month, which takes place every year in February.
Other award winners were Kairos, which supports lesbian and bisexual asylum seekers in Nottingham, and Silver Pride, a social group for older gay and bisexual men in the city.
With this year’s LGBT+ History Month theme being ‘Prose, Poetry & Plays’ there was also a special memorial award for Nottingham’s own Lord Byron and those who work to look after his legacy at Newstead Abbey.
Attended by almost 150 guests, the event featured a scrolling presentation of 700 LGBT+ famous faces, as well as stands from Nottingham groups, organisations and businesses, including Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust, Notts LGBT+ Network and Capital One.
The awards were presented by Katie Cornhill, a transgender firefighter who works on a national level to promote diversity in the fire service. Katie also shared her own story with the audience, including her six years as a Royal Marines Commando and work to better reflect diverse gender self-identities.
Commenting on the evening, David Edgley from Notts Rainbow Heritage said: “Our annual awards night continues to grow and it was great to see such a diverse range of people attending.
“Katie was a superb host and I know many members of the audience were inspired by her story.
“Congratulations to all our award winner. Arran helped to create a lasting acknowledgement of the LBGT+ community here in Nottingham, while Kairos and Silver Pride are vital support organisations in the city.
“The overall message of the event echoes that of LGBT+ History Month, to educate out prejudice and celebrate LGBT+ people in all their rich diversity.”
For more on the work of Notts Rainbow Heritage, visit www.nottsrh.webeden.co.uk.
More details on LGBT+ History Month can be found at www.lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk.