KINGSTON Council is calling on residents to contribute their experiences of local LGBT+ life for a year-long project mapping the borough's heritage.

It comes as the borough celebrates LGBT+ History Month - a month-long event raising awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, held in the UK every February.

A statement was released today by Deputy Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Communities & Engagement, Councillor Tim Cobbett.

He said: "We are proud to be an inclusive borough, and inclusivity involves understanding and talking about the experiences and contributions of every part of our community.

"In keeping with this theme, we are proudly flying the rainbow flag over the Guildhall on February 1st.

"LGBT+ History month is also about sharing and learning. That is why we are asking you, our residents, to feed into our understanding of our local LGBT+ heritage.

"We know that these histories are often hidden, but that in Kingston we have a rich LGBT+ heritage that should be remembered and celebrated.

"For example, we know that throughout the 1970s the pubs 'The Lamb' and 'The Griffin' were well-known meeting points, and were havens for LGBT+ people living in the Borough and beyond.

"If you have any memories, stories, photographs or reflections you would like to share, please do contribute to our '100 Histories' digital map."

Cllr Cobbett added: "It is true to my own experience that when others see you as you are it can help in accepting yourself.

"I look forward to joining with others this month to remember and celebrate our local LGBT+ heritage."

The '100 histories' digital map is a year-long project run by Kingston Heritage Service and Cllr Cobbett wants to ensure that LGBT+ histories of the borough are not forgotten.

The map currently has 60 'pins', each one telling a different story about an area of the borough.

'Pinned' histories include New Malden's 'Little Korea', Surbiton's Sardine Festival and the Charter of King John, which dates back to the 13th century and is the oldest item in the borough archives.

The most-read story on the map is the tale of the Chessington Hoard - six gold coins dating back to the Iron Age discovered on farmland in the borough back in 1998 and now on display in Kingston Museum.

Anyone can add a pin to the histories map and people can vote for their favourites by giving them a like.

Find the map at www.kingstonheritage.org.uk/our100histories[L]

Discover more about LGBT+ history month [L]https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/[l+]HERE