Help Make Bristol Pride Happen
The new year may have only just started but preparations are already in planning Bristol’s 2014 Pride Event, and the organisers are appealing for help in ensuring the event takes place.
The Bristol Pride 2013 event, which is run and organised by volunteers from the LGBT community, came second place in the ‘UK Pride Event of the Year’ category in the recent Co-Operative’s Respect ‘Loved by You’ Awards, only beaten by Manchester Pride.
Speaking to PrideWest earlier in the Month, Daryn Carter, Director of the event told us ” There is so much that goes on behind the scenes, we’ve already started planning for 2014 and essentially it’s money that needs to be raised. We don’t get funding to put Pride on so we have to raise thousands of pounds to put the event on, we then go through months of planning and arranging contractors for fencing and infrastructure along with all the paperwork and compliance that goes with that!”
The team are currently working on festival partnerships and have already secured some of their sponsors for 2014, including the GMB workers’ union who are sponsoring the cabaret stage for the first time.
Daryn continued ” We have had confirmation from the Council that we can use Castle Park again and I think given the tremendous amount of feedback we have had on the site and layout change I don’t think there is too much we will change to site itself. We do need some help though! As we are busy trying to raise the money to put pride on, we need people to come forward with donations or to come to fundraising events.”
The team are also appealing for volunteers to assist with things such as Creatives & site decor, Stewards & Donation takers for Pride Day itself, and also things such as Admin, Finance, Web & Design.
Those wishing to help Bristol Pride can donate online here and people can also text donate, free of charge, by texting Bris13 £3 (an amount from £1-£5 or £10) to 70070. You can always donate via one of the Pride Red Charity Pots in supportive LGBT venues such as the Queenshilling, The Bear Bar, Lounge, OMT and Retreat.
