Shoppers and residents are noticing a new energy in Moray’s LGBTQ+ scene after Vicky Adamczyk was named chair of Pride In Moray; the Forres Academy alumna returns home with big plans to rebuild events, grow volunteers and create safe spaces so queer people across the region feel seen and supported.

Essential Takeaways

  • New leadership: Vicky Adamczyk, a Moray native with NHS England experience, is the new chair of Pride In Moray.
  • Data-led approach: The charity plans to map likely LGBTQ+ demographics in Moray and tailor events accordingly.
  • Bigger team: The board aims to double in size and recruit more volunteers to deliver a five-year plan.
  • Return of Pride events: Organisers are working towards a Pride In Moray event in 2027, with community activity sooner.
  • Safe spaces focus: Vicky wants peer support, education and visible, welcoming places for all ages, including older queer residents.

A welcome homecoming with a clear mission

There’s something refreshingly human about this story: a local woman who went away, learned a lot, and has come back determined to put that learning to work in her home patch. Vicky Adamczyk’s background running NHS England’s LGBTQ+ staff network gives her credibility and practical know-how, and she says she wants to be the person she needed when she was young. That kind of emotional motive resonates , it’s not just event planning, it’s about belonging.

Locals will notice a different tone: less about flash, more about structure. Vicky has signalled a data-driven approach to understanding who lives in Moray and what they want. For a charity that faced an uncertain future earlier this year, that’s both pragmatic and promising.

Why data and demographics actually matter for Pride

It’s tempting to think Pride is only about a parade, but understanding numbers changes everything. Vicky points to Office for National Statistics extrapolations to estimate how many queer people might live locally , and that gives organisers a starting point for tailoring events, support groups and outreach.

That matters if you live in a smaller region where services can feel thin on the ground. A tailored calendar means activities that fit school schedules, older residents’ routines, or evenings for younger groups. If you’re a volunteer thinking about joining, expect more purposeful roles rather than one-off tasks.

Rebuilding the organisation: board, volunteers and a five-year plan

After the previous chair stepped down, Pride In Moray needed steady hands. The new plan is straightforward: grow the board, recruit volunteers and draft a five-year roadmap. That kind of governance focus helps with fundraising, applying for grants and building partnerships with councils or local trusts.

If you want to help, there’ll probably be roles for event logistics, communications, outreach and education. For anyone who’s worried about commitment, Vicky’s emphasis on peer support suggests there will be lighter-touch ways to get involved, too.

Events on the horizon , and why 2027 is a target

There won’t be a full-scale Pride every year if funding and volunteer numbers don’t add up, so the organisation is pragmatic about timing. Plans for a return in 2027 are being drafted, while smaller activities and safe-space gatherings could happen sooner.

That phased approach is sensible: it gives the charity time to build capacity and ensures events won’t be scaled back at the last minute. For attendees, it should mean better-managed occasions that feel inclusive and safe rather than rushed or underfunded.

Education, visibility and dealing with criticism

Vicky’s commitment to education , including opening an event with a concise history of Pride , responds directly to local scepticism. She’s right to put that front and centre: visibility without context can provoke pushback, while teaching people why Pride exists helps cut through ignorance.

Her message is both firm and human: Pride isn’t a trend, it’s a lived experience for thousands of locals. Expect outreach that mixes history, practical support and conversation, not confrontation. That approach will matter in a community where there are no dedicated gay venues and safe spaces have to be created deliberately.

It's a small change that can make every local queer person feel a bit more at home.

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