Brighton Pride are pleased to announce we have again exceed our fundraising target for Pride 2016 and have raised £100,000 for local good causes.
Paul Kemp, Pride’s director said,
“I am thrilled to be able to announce we have broken our fundraising target for 2016 and matched the record fundraising of our 25th anniversary year in 2015. This year raised £90,000 has been raised for the Rainbow Fund and £10,000 for the Pride Social Impact fund. Pride have now raised over £310,000 over the past four years.
It has been a challenging year for Pride. Money raised from parade collection buckets and business contributions towards fundraising is lower this year. With many businesses across the city benefiting commercially from the influx of Pride visitors it remains disappointing that more don’t help with the fundraising effort.
Over 60% of visitors to Pride come into the City by train and with an announcement by Southern railway to find alternative means of transport and the planned strike from Sunday at midnight, clearly this may have deterred visitors to the City and affected business in the City. Wristband sales for Sunday Pride Village Party this year were down by two thirds.
This year the Pride Parade had the biggest number of participants ever and there were new festival sites across the city. The Pride Festival on Preston Park has received the best feedback ever from visitors. Brighton & Hove Pride is recognised as the UK’s biggest Pride Festival costing almost £1.5 million to stage and bringing in an estimated £18 million to the local economy”
The Pride Rainbow Fund Grant Awards will take place at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in September when grants will be distributed to local charities, community groups and good causes.
In addition to Pride’s continued commitment to our fundraising for the Rainbow Fund, in 2015 we also established a Social Impact Fund from Pride’s additional activities.
Pride will continue to work with community organisations to develop projects and ideas that could be of social benefit to the wider community.
The Pride Social Impact Fund applications will open in October with grants being awarded in early 2017.
Brighton & Hove Pride is produced by Brighton Pride CIC, a not for profit community interest company (CIC). All ticket revenue raised goes directly to the operational and running costs of producing the Pride Festival, LGBT+ Community Parade, Pride Village Party and community fundraising towards the Rainbow Fund and Social Impact fund.
