Andrew Kay: Fundement

I wrote earlier this year how much I had, for the first time in many years, enjoyed Brighton Pride in Preston Park. Some of that fun was down to the excellent company of an international burlesque queen who proved that, despite her job, she still has an appetite for a full English and pints of lager.

But what really filled my heart with joy was the idea that Pride would get back to being a campaigning platform for LGBT issues on not only a local and national scale but internationally. With the return of the main stage it was possible for real messages to pepper the bill of boy and girl bands that had become the standard fare.

I was equally heartened that a sum of money would be ring-fenced to fund local LGBT organisations through the body Rainbow Fund. In recent years the whole Pride event has been shrouded in a fog of blather and a real lack of transparency. In reality it meant that very little money was raised for local LGBT groups or charities.

This is certainly not what you expect when you dip deep in your pocket to pop something in the charity bucket and, I suspect, one of the reasons that bucket collections are so down on previous years. After all, if you do donate you want to see and hear that the money has gone to a good and appropriate cause.

There is little doubt that Pride is a massive and expensive undertaking, and a new commitment to transparency is more than welcome, and at the awards ceremony at Brighton’s Hilton Metropole, this was re-affirmed. Few of us will have any issue with hard-working members of the organisation being paid a reasonable sum for their hard work, especially if they continue to assure us that the charity fundraising element of the event is protected.

The grants awarded are taken very seriously, by both the Rainbow Fund organisers and the recipients, and the speeches made by those collecting the awards were often moving. There was a genuine feel-good factor in the room as we tucked into sushi gifted by Moshimo, regular supporters of LGBT organisations, and there was plenty of wine too. Even the room had been gifted for no fee by the hotel, another sign that Brighton and Hove’s businesses, gay or not, are firmly behind what the organisers are trying to achieve.

“That iceberg may be crowned by a huge rainbow – but the pot of gold that goes back into the LGBT community is still pretty small”

The Rainbow Fund’s autumn 2013 grants round have been made possible thanks to fundraising from Brighton Pride, Brighton Bear Weekender, Legends, Tony Chapman, Queen’s Arms, A Bar, Charles Street, David Raven, James Ledward, the Queens Hotel, The Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and many, many individuals. If you put your hand in your pocket then you can join that list too.

Pride is a massive money spinner for the city so it seems only right that money should go to supporting these much needed organisations. When you look at the amount of revenue generated across Pride weekend in the city, then the sum ring-fenced is simply the very tip of an iceberg. That iceberg may be crowned by a huge and flamboyant rainbow – but the pot of gold at the end of it that goes back into the LGBT community is still pretty small. It’s a great start to reclaiming our gay festival, let’s hope that we can make it better year on year. With awards totalling £46,140 the following groups were proud beneficiaries:

• Allsorts – £5,000 for a youth engagement worker to support the Transformer group for young Trans* people.
• Lunch Positive – £7,000 towards food, venue hire and lunch club running costs for people with HIV.
• Sussex Beacon – £4,000 towards a new occupational therapy project.
• Peer Action – £5,000 for health and wellbeing activities for those living with HIV.
• Brighton GEMS – £4,000 towards support costs for befriending and support work for older gay men.
• Clare Project – £4,640 to extend for psychotherapy and speech therapy sessions for Trans* people.

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