- Conference
- Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual & Transgender Conference 2005
- Date
- 29 July 2005
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Brighton Pride is an annual event which has a week of various activities running up to the march and celebration in the park. Over 100,000 people visited Brighton last year during the week, and over 90,000 people participated in the march.
Unlike London and some other cities, Brighton Pride is not a commercial venture, it is a registered charity and operates on the basis of ‘not for profit’ and free access to all. Brighton Pride is one of an increasing number and variety of free Pride celebrations in the United Kingdom.
The stated objectives of Brighton Pride are to promote equality and diversity, advance education to eliminate discrimination in relation to gay, lesbian, bi and transgender people. Its activities raise awareness of issues and a growing role is to fundraise in order to award grants to other LGBT related community and voluntary groups.
In 2005 the UNISON South East LGBT regional group was able to secure funding to qualify as a medium sponsor.
UNISON’s sponsorship was achieved via bids to the Regional Pool, the National GPF fund, the South East LGBT lay members budget and donations from branches within the region.
UNISON’s sponsorship this year went towards:
1.The employment of signers which were visible in areas where the public were addressed;
2.Bucket collectors – the Trust employed bucket collectors who accompanied the march and collected in the park throughout the day. Last year they collected over £26,000 which was distributed to voluntary and community groups. In 2005 the Trust employed approximately 100 collectors, thereby potentially increasing collections three fold. All collectors wore official Pride t-shirts with the UNISON logo on them;
3.St Johns Ambulance – for first aid provision;
4.General health and safety facilities – help to ensure health and safety during the march and in the park through employment of more stewards and the provision of other facilities.
Sponsorship of this level provided massive publicity, and raised UNISON’s profile and enabled us to promote our equality objectives. The advertising of this event involved ‘flyers’ distributed in London, Brighton and other major cities throughout the UK, as well as adverts in all the main LGBT press in the month running up to the festivities. As a sponsor, the UNISON logo was included in all the publicity and adverts, as well as the logo appearing on all the lamppost and bill boards.
The high profile and visibility demonstrated to our members, as well as to the broader community, UNISON’s commitment and determination to oppose discrimination to the LGBT community.
UNISON’s involvement in such a high profile and major event gives access to a greater level of potential and current members, and enables the encouragement of more members in to this self organised group and UNISON generally.
Conference recognises the importance of continuing, building and developing the link between the regional ‘Pride’ events and the trade union movement.
Conference notes that the largest GPF grant for regional prides was given to the London event in 2005, even though this ‘Pride’ receives TUC support and funding.
Conference congratulates the National LGBT Members Committee for managing to secure over £24,000 in grant funding from the GPF for regional ‘Prides’ in 2005.
Conference instructs the National LGBT Members Committee to:
A.Review its criteria for supporting ‘Pride’ events following consultation with branch and regional LGBT groups;
B.Ensure that when it makes recommendations for funding to the NEC and GPF it takes into account the wider picture of the profile of the event;
C.Communicate with the regional groups via the regional representatives on the national committee regarding GPF bids proposed on their behalf, before the bid documents have been submitted;
D.No longer refer to London Pride as the ‘National Pride Event’, as it is no longer the largest ‘Pride’ held in the UK;
E.Support the South East region in its bid to the GPF for Brighton Pride funding in 2006;
F.Help regional groups identify other funding channels/streams should their GPF bids for regional ‘Pride’ events not match their application requirements.