Just three years ago, the LGBT community held its head in collective shame as news was splashed over the front page of the Argus that the charity that organised Brighton Pride, (Pride South East Ltd.) had ceased trading with debts of over £280,000.
In just three years the situation has been completely turned around and Brighton Pride CIC has been able to announce today it has raised a magnificent £100,000 for good causes from this years event, bringing the grand total raised over the last three years while the present organisers have been associated with the event to over £200,000.
Brighton Pride is the largest event staged in the city each year. It generates a fortune for local businesses and puts the international spotlight onto the city.
Pride is now finally what it should always have been, an annual fundraiser to benefit LGBT/HIV community groups.
This year Pride cost more than a million pounds to stage. Too much of that money relies on ticket sales. A bad weather forecast on the weekend before Pride kills tickets sales and can put the success of the event at risk, especially its fundraising element as the money raised comes from £1, ring fenced from each ticket sold.
If you are a business the best way to support Brighton Pride and your LGBT+ customers is by offering financial support to Pride in the way of sponsorship.
If you see a company or business flying a banner saying “SUPPORTING BRIGHTON PRIDE” or some similar phrase, go in and ask them how exactly they are supporting Brighton Pride and our fight for equality.
Tell them the best way to support Brighton Pride is by making a financial contribution.
Some large businesses show their support for Pride by appearing on the Pride Parade. That is wonderful, but bottom line, appearing on the Pride parade is a benefit to the businesses, a PR opportunity and of little benefit in helping solve the problems Pride organisers encounter each year in finding the money to stage the event.
I have monitored Prides in Brighton & Hove since this magazine started in 1992. This year I witnessed more blagging for freebies from companies and individuals who are desperate to show their diversity credentials and be associated with the event, but don’t want to pay for the privilege. This ‘something for nothing’ culture will cripple the event is it continues.
Brighton Pride is a fundraiser and is the only way in the short to medium term we will be able to secure the future of LGBT and HIV organisations in the city.
The event generates a fortune to all local businesses both gay and straight and everyone that benefits should be prepared to put their hands in their pockets and help with the costs of financing their biggest pay-day of the year.
Indications are that police and possibly council costs to Pride are to rise over the next three years while at the same time the annual grant to Pride from the council’s main grants budget will reduce. The only way those increases can be paid for is by the ticket prices going up.
Early indications are that this years ‘Early Bird’ tickets scheme was abused by ticket touts who were selling those early bird tickets outside the park on the day at inflated prices. Organisers are presently looking at how to solve that problem next year.
Whatever solution they find, the best way you can help secure the future of Brighton Pride in 2016 and beyond is to purchase early bird tickets as soon as they are released. This creates the working capital that gets the Pride organisation through the cold winter months when they have no income coming in and is your investment not only in the future of Brighton Pride but also the future of all the LGBT/HIV organisations that are now dependent on the funds it raises each year.
It is a miracle that the fortunes of Brighton Pride have been turned round in such a short time and that has been done by the efforts of Pride Director Paul Kemp, Dulcie Weaver and a small team of professional people they have around them.
For years the community and to some extent statutory authorities stood by and allowed successive Pride administrations to run up massive debts, in their desire to be the biggest and best Pride in the country.
Community Pride does not come from being the biggest or the best, it comes from doing Pride for the right reasons. It is imperative that we never forget that Brighton Pride is a fundraiser to secure the future of local LGBT and HIV organisations.
Buy your ticket for 2016 early and buy it with Pride. We finally have a Pride model which will guarantee the future of the LGBT and HIV organisations that provide effective front line services to LGBT people in the city and by buying your ticket early, you are investing in the future of those organisations as well as securing the future of Pride.
If you can’t afford to buy a ticket you can have a free ticket for the park by donating two hours of your time to Pride. Is there a better way of supporting your community?
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