Pride Empowerment and Equality Programme

10th July 2025

Highland funding announcement 

Out and About in the Highlands and Highland Pride are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Community-Led Local Development Fund to deliver a new collaborative leadership training programme for the LGBTIQ+ people in rural and remote areas of the Scottish Highlands.

The Pride Empowerment and Equality Programme (PEEP) is a six month programme which will be run throughout the second half of 2025. The project is now underway, with a series of engagement workshops planned in early August in Nairn-shire, Ross-shire, Caithness and Lochaber.

With our thanks to the Highland Third Sector Interface and the Highland & Islands Climate Hub who have partnered to deliver this third sector fund, on behalf of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF). The fund gives rural communities the power to tackle their own local challenges, responding to the needs of their local area and supporting positive change.

Munro Stevenson, Participation & Engagement Manager with LEAP Sports said “We are excited to be awarded this funding and to continue to strengthen our partnership with Highland Pride SCIO. Since Out and About in the Highlands was established in 2022 we have had the privilege to work directly with and help develop LGBTIQ+ community leaders. This project will allow us to focus on this strand of the project, further strengthening community resilience in the area.”

Simon Allison, Chair of Highland Pride said, "Highland Pride SCIO is proud to be collaborating with LEAP Sports on this project. For us it is the opportunity to work together for the community and really make an impact aligned to our purpose; to advance the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in the Highlands. We are confident this strong partnership focused on developing community leadership will create a lasting positive impact."

Keep up to date with this new programme by signing up to the LEAP Sports Highland Newsletter.