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LETTER TO EDITOR: Thank you Mr Chapman

During the Pride weekend I said, in the park and at Legends, that Brighton owes a huge debt to Tony Chapman.

HIS presence on the LGBT+ scene, over the last thirty plus years, has helped shape it into it’s current form through his businesses and more importantly, his understanding of why supporting the community is so necessary to help it survive.

I may produce and host the cabaret big top but it’s Legends name in the title. And on Pride Sunday Tony turns Legends over to me to host twenty acts, all bringing their A game but thanks to the hard work of Dan Austin, Jemela Quick and the entire team we are able to make Legends a special part of the Pride Village Party.

We worried about people having loose change, but they did the Rainbow Fund Proud by donating as they did and backed up by a personal donation from Tony of £1,000 we raised a fabulous total of £4050.69. With the £5,000 sponsorship of the Legends cabaret tent and the cost of the Village Street Party entry, Legends will have contributed £9,550.69 towards this years Brighton and Hove Pride.

I want to offer my personal and sincere thanks to the people for donating and being a sublime audience to perform to.

To everyone at Legends for their hard work in providing a fabulous venue and safe space over the Pride weekend. And to Tony Chapman for his continuing support to Pride, the Rainbow Fund and Brighton.

Britney may have held centre stage on Preston Park but Tony Chapman continues to be the star fundraiser and local sponsor of Brighton Pride.

LETTER TO EDITOR: Thank you Mr Chapman

Another successful Brighton Pride and another chance to send sincere thanks to Tony Chapman and his team at Legends.

Once again, Tony’s continued support and sponsorship has kept the Legends Cabaret Big Top, one of the highlights on Preston Park. Then on Pride Sunday, he entrusts his stage at Legends to me to bring the very best artistes to help raise money for the Rainbow Fund.

Whilst £1 from every ticket sold for Preston Park and the Village Street Party is ring fenced for the Rainbow Fund, Tony recognises the need not to be complacent and uses the Sunday to boost funds further, enabling the Rainbow Fund to continue its excellent work supporting  Brighton’s considerable LGBT+/HIV organisations.

For the seventh consecutive year Tony has supported me in putting on a top rate show highlighting the top drawer venue Legends has always been. 

Special thanks must be given to the team there, led magnificently by Jemela Quick and Dan Austin. They handled their new managerial roles at Legends during the busiest weekend of the year with aplomb. Nothing was too much trouble and I, on behalf of the artistes who had all donated their time to appear, wish to thank them sincerely for all that they did.

The support of Tony and Legends, to Brighton Pride, the Rainbow Fund, the artistes and the public, is a testament as to why Brighton Pride remains one of the most successful and enjoyable Prides in the UK. It’s a long weekend for me, but I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it without Tony’s trust, faith and support.

Thank you very much!

Stephen Richards aka Lola Lasagne

LETTER TO EDITOR: Thank you Legends

It’s been another successful Brighton Pride with both the Preston Park and Pride Village Party being very enjoyable events.

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But whilst it takes the concerted efforts of a huge amount of people to deliver Pride, I wanted to single out and thank Tony Chapman and his team at Legends.

His generosity and commitment every year to Pride and Brighton’s LGBT communities ensures the cabaret tent remains sponsored each year and we are able to invite the finest cabaret artists in the country to appear.

On Pride Sunday he then throws open Legends to me to stage the, now annual, cabaret fundraiser for the Rainbow Fund.

This action indicates to me his understanding of what Pride is about. A chance to highlight to the thousands of visitors and to remind those of us who live here that our LGBT scene is wonderfully diverse but needs constant care and most importantly funding for it to remain so in the future.

The Rainbow Fund is an excellent model for delivering this and Tony’s constant support, not just over Pride, really leads the way across our scene.

Each year we raise thousands of pounds for the Rainbow Fund through Pride ticket sales but the Sunday event at Legends boosts that total whilst providing a real sense of community thanks to the Legends team’s hard work.

This year we collected in the buckets, £3,526.74 at Legends, our best yet and I thank everyone who donated but especially Tony Chapman for ensuring it could happen and who made a £1,000 personal donation bringing the total raised to £4,526.74.

Stephen Richards aka Lola Lasagne

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