Sparkle - the national transgender

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

based in the United Kingdom that is best known for organising the annual Sparkle Weekend in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, which aims to celebrate the

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

community. The event claims to be the world's largest transgender event.

History

Sparkle was formed in 2005 by Kimberly Nolan and was granted registered charity status in 2011 by board member Sophie Summers.

Sparkle Weekend

Sparkle Weekend occurs in the second weekend every July, with the 18th weekend celebrated in 2023., where over 12,000 people attended It is based around Manchester's Canal Street, with local bars and restaurants sponsoring and advertising the event, and various talks and workshops are run. On the Saturday and Sunday,

Sackville Gardens Sackville Gardens is a public space in Manchester, England. It is bounded by The Manchester College, Manchester College's Shena Simon Campus on one side and Whitworth Street, Sackville Street, the Rochdale Canal and Canal Street, Manchester, Cana ...

hosts a stage and well-being, family and sober spaces along with a well attended marketplace showcasing the best in trans retail.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR)

Sparkle also hosts the Manchester Transgender Day of Remembrance every November on the Sunday nearest to the 20th to remember victims of transphobic crime as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Other activities

In addition to organising the Sparkle Weekend, the charity aims to promote awareness and acceptance of the Transgender community. In November 2022, Sparkle organised a candle-lit vigil to remember victims of transphobic crime as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Every year they continue this service to see the growth and change in support for the trans community and to remember those who were ‘known to us’. Sparkle are also responsible for the National Transgender memorial project, commencing a replacement of the original monument following an incident of vandalism where it was found to be irreparable following fire damage.

Trustees and Patrons

Sparkle has a governing body of trustees who are led by Jay Crawford (Chair). Sparkle currently has two patrons Professor Stephen Whittle OBE and Actress Annie Wallace.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Sparkle
LGBTQ organisations based in the United Kingdom LGBTQ culture in Manchester