Tuesday, 6th July 10

Following a meeting between Brighton & Hove City Council leaders and board members of Pride in Brighton & Hove last week, the following statement has been issued:

Brighton & Hove City Council were pleased to bring together party leaders to hear directly from board members of Pride about the progress being made towards delivering this year’s Pride event on 7^th August.

Council Leader Cllr Mary Mears, whose initiative it was to convene the meeting said:

“We were reassured by Pride that it has secured funding for this year’s event and that both the traditional parade through the city and the party on Preston Park would be going ahead. 

“Councillors were also pleased to learn that many community groups and businesses that had been holding back due to uncertainty are now committing to taking part and a special effort is being made to encourage those who had previously said they would be absent to change their minds.

“Everyone recognizes the importance of Pride to the life of our city and we urge everyone who cares about it to get behind this year’s event.”

On behalf of Pride Robert Clothier, Pride’s Chair said:

“We welcomed the opportunity given to us by Cllr Mears to brief her and other councillors directly about this year’s Pride festival. Communications between Pride and the community could have been better over the last few difficult months and we are committed to improving them as we move ever closer to the big day.

“We are very grateful that the council has been able to help us to ensure that both the Women’s Performance and the Calabash tents will, once again, feature on the Park. We believe that Cllr Mears’ intervention has helped us turn a corner and now we can concentrate on delivering the most inclusive and safest Pride festival ever.”

At the meeting it was agreed that the council would be making a special effort to target illegal street trading - particularly alcohol sales. It was also agreed that further round table meetings between Pride and Council leaders in the coming weeks would be beneficial.