JUST days after helping the town light up for Bolton Pride, the team behind the weekend extravaganza will be travelling to London to be recognised for their work in tackling hate crime.

Bolton Pride has been nominated for a No2H8 Award, and founder members will travel to London for the ceremony for a gala dinner on Tuesday.

The team were nominated for launching Bolton Pride after a report found that the borough was a hostile place to study and socialise for those who were LGBTQ.

Among those attending the awards ceremony will be James Edgington.

He said: "It amazing to put forward for a national award.

"Over the three years Bolton Pride has grown in the town and it is amazing to be recognised."

Mr Edgington said that since Bolton Pride was established, it made people more comfortable and confident to live in Bolton,

"The work we do with police to tackle hate crime is more visible," he explained. "People are more confident in reporting hate crime.

"The message of Bolton Pride will always be that hate crime is not tolerated."

Bolton Pride was nominated for an award at the ceremony by DCI Charlotte Cadden.

The nomination form stated: "Since its inception, Bolton Pride has grown from strength to strength and is now in its third year.

"It is always dedicated to tackling hate crime in all its forms, which allows the police and the council to identify and support more victims of transphobia, biphobia and homophobia — all of which were massively under-reported at that time — as residents and visitors now have more confidence to come forward to report."

She said: "As the former hate crime police lead at Bolton, it was important to me, that the work of the Bolton Pride team over the past three years, was recognised formally.

"James and the Bolton Pride volunteers have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of all the different forms of hate crime and this has increased reporting by LGBT residents across Bolton, which is a really positive outcome.

"I am proud that their nomination has been accepted for the National No2H8 Award ceremony in London and want to thank them personally for their commitment to the people of Bolton."

The team managed to enlist the support of Sir Ian McKellen to launch the first Bolton Pride and attend a special award ceremony for those in the community and partner agencies who were doing good work with victims of hate crime.