Manchester Pride have admitted it is ‘disappointing’ they only gave £34,000 in charity donations from their last Big Weekend – plummeting by almost 35% from last year’s figure.
Pride claim the £18,000 drop was due to a shift of people buying single day wristbands instead of the four day version and a decline in ticket sales.
Total donations have dropped continuously since 2009 when the figure stood at £135,000 – something the organisation is determined to do something about.
“As a charity, we exist to campaign for, promote and celebrate LGBT life,” Vicken Couligian, Chair of Manchester Pride, said.
“Our Parade, Pride Fringe arts festival and the Big Weekend successfully achieve this but over the last two years, fundraising levels have been disappointing.
“That’s why we are taking action to boost fundraising next year and beyond. We have a clear plan in place that will provide a bright future for the festival.”
Pride have settled on a three-part plan to boost fundraising which will review existing events with a view to reducing costs as well as introducing more fundraising activities throughout the year.
Pride also say they will consult a range of sources including members of the community as well as the city council and businesses about how they run the event, following much criticism from other Village groups.
Geoff Stafford, co-founder of the Facts About Manchester Pride Group that recently staged protests outside Pride’s office, said that elements of Pride such as the Big Weekend do not represent those in the community.
“Members of Facts About Manchester Pride are extremely disappointed with this figure. We think it means that probably only about 3.5% of Manchester Pride’s income will reach good causes this year,” he told MM.
“The LGBT community has higher than average problems with alcohol abuse and alcohol is implicated in many HIV infections. So it’s inappropriate that most of the income paid to a registered charity, which was started to help with HIV and AIDS, now goes to fund what is essentially a commercial pop concert and beer festival.
“In recent weeks there have been meetings behind closed doors between the Village Business Association and Manchester Pride. The gay village businesses fund Pride to the tune of about £60,000.While the public pay around ten times that much for tickets. Yet there has been almost zero engagement with the public in recent weeks.”
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