Meet-ups and Events

This event is aimed at those who are free during the week. It takes place every other Tuesday during term time. Drop in any time from 10:30-12:30. During these sessions parents can borrow an LGBT+ story sack or swap baby and toddler clothes.

The event is held at Calm Connections in Stretford Mall. There is paid car parking on site. If you are traveling by public transport the nearest tram stop is Stretford just a few minutes walk away. Bus routes 15, 23, 25, 255, 256, 263 among many others travel past the venue.

One of many of our services in Bolton, this event is also aimed at those who are free during the week. It takes place every Thursday during term time. Drop in any time from 12:30-2pm. In addition to the wonderful amount of toys at the venue, our Community Engagement Worker also runs a different activity every week, such as crafting, playdough, or water play.

The event is held at Great Lever Children’s Centre in Bolton, BL3 3AP. There is free car parking on site. If you are traveling by public transport bus route 573 goes between the train station and the venue.

Every other Friday in term time we get out and about and explore somewhere exciting in Greater Manchester! Times vary depending on the activity but they always take place between 10am-2pm. Previous sessions include a trip to SeaLife, roaming around Manchester Museum, a trip to Mayfield Park, and trampolines and soft play at Kick Air!

This is perfect for anyone who is free on a Friday. Please subscribe to our newsletter to get all the information for each individual Friday event.

Our Monthly Get-together happens once a month on a Sunday between 1-3pm. Most of the time we meet at Cheeky Cherubs soft play centre in Urmston where we are the only people using the venue. This means the kids can burn off some energy while you meet other LGBT+ parents and carers and grab some food or a brew!

This event is suitable for babies to around 8-9 years old. At Cheeky Cherubs you will also have the chance to do some incredible crafting with Community Artist, Mandy.

When out and about we have held our Monthly Get-togethers at places like Heaton Park or a walk in the countryside to make sure we make the most of the summer months!

This is a new series of events specifically for families who are part of smaller communities within the wider Proud 2 b Parents community, so they can have their own dedicated space.

These smaller communities include Trans and Nonbinary parents and carers, single parents and carers, and QTIPOC parents and carers. Meet-ups rotate between each smaller community and take place on the first Saturday of the month at a venue near Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

Don’t forget you can join one or more of our What’s App groups in the meantime!

Proud 2 b Me is our monthly youth group for young people aged 8 and over who have LGBT+ parents or carers. The group offers a wide range of activities (crafts, theatre workshops, bowling, kayaking etc.) and a social space for young people to meet others from similar family set ups.

We know it is especially important for older children to have the chance to chat and get support as they move into secondary school and reach their teenage years. This group provides fun opportunities and space to discuss the things that matter to them.

Parents and carers can either leave their child(ren) with us during the session or stay and enjoy a brew together nearby.

At Proud 2 b Parents, we recognise that is it important for families through adoption to have regular opportunities to connect, share experiences, and support one another. This space has also been extremely beneficial for children and young people to meet others who have been adopted.

Depending on the time of year, these get-togethers might be in a soft play centre or out and about - such as cycling in Longford Park.

During these sessions you will also have the chance to feed back your views and experiences of fostering and adoption. This will help to shape both local and national work taking place through our partnerships to improve the fostering and adoption experience of LGBT+ parents and carers.

Throughout the year Proud 2 b Parents teams up various event organisers across the Greater Manchester region to give Pride events a safe and inclusive space for families. Locations and dates for 2024 TBC.

In these spaces LGBT+ parents and carers can meet others, enjoy play areas and family based activities, and celebrate and be proud together!

We co-curate Family Pride at MCR Pride every August and in recent years we have also been to Sparkle, Pop Up Pride in Media City, and Stockport, Salford, and Bury Prides!

We have an entry in MCR Pride Parade every year, which you can either watch or take part in!

Throughout the year we run larger events giving more opportunities for our families to come together and share special occasions.

They are lots of fun and have specific themes such as Easter, Family Festival (outdoors), Halloween, and Christmas.

Our Parent Support Sessions run digitally on a Thursday evening via our closed Proud 2 b Parents Social group. The sessions cover a range of topics to support you and your family such as relationship based play, phonics, mindfulness, getting ready for school, therapeutic parenting, legal rights for LGBT+ parents, applying to schools, relating to your teenager, safer sleep and much, much more!

You can access this free support by joining our Proud 2 b Parents Social group as an ‘on demand’ service to watch back at a time that suits you. If you would like us to cover a specific topic let us know by visiting this online request form.

We don’t have any events at the moment for people who are on the way to becoming a parent or carer, or thinking about it. However please don’t hesitate to get in touch as we do offer advice and support on topics such as fostering, adoption, IVF, and surrogacy.

You can get in touch at any stage in your journey, from the first thoughts and wanting to find out more, to navigating through your chosen route to parenthood.