Manchester Pride has beefed up its board of trustees with the appointment of two Village venue owners.
New York New York’s Tracey Walsh and Nick Curtis, who owns Richmond Tea Rooms, The Eagle and The Lodge have both joined the board of trustees.
The board of directors has also welcomed newcomers to its ranks to strengthen the charity ahead of 2014 celebrations.
Managing director of Lazy Camper Becki Scott, Geek Pride founder and creative agency employee Michael Stephens and former prison officer and equality advisor Peter E Allen MBE have all been welcomed into the fold.
Vicken Couligian, Chair of Manchester Pride, said: “We are delighted to announce the new appointments and to welcome such experienced individuals to the board each of whom come from very diverse parts of our community.”
Tracey and Nick have been appointed as trustees to support the organisation and provide overall governance and strategic direction for the charity.
They have both worked as volunteers and will act as representatives of the Village Business Association, the organisation that works with the bars, restaurants and other businesses within the Village.
Tracey is an active supporter of multiple charities, including Albert Kennedy Trust and George House Trust, and a longstanding fundraiser for Manchester Pride.
Nick Curtis is an experienced entrepreneur and supporter of LGBT charities across Greater Manchester.
Nick owns a diverse array of business experience to the table as the owner of the men only Eagle Bar, and coowner of the kitch, quaint and eccentrically styled Richmond Tea Room.
Mr Couligian added: “We are confident that the volunteer trustees and directors’ wealth of experience will strengthen the existing board and their diverse skills will help to steer the organisation and ensure that we continue to meet our charitable aims.”
Pride’s ‘Be Involved’ campaign, headed up by Canal Street Businessman Anthony Cooper, has also taken a step forward by inviting a number of community representatives to take part in bi-monthly ‘Community Collective’ meetings, to discuss the future of the charity.
The panel, which represents a wide range of organisations within the LGBT community, will also act as facilitators to engage with the city’s LGBT communities, before feeding back to the board of Trustees.
Cooper is manager of Via on Canal Street, and has a long history of working with Manchester Pride, community organisations, fundraising and the village.
Cooper is also actively involved with the Sparkle Transgender festival and also spearheaded the Trans memorial, recently installed in Sackville Gardens.
Individuals who represent LGBT groups can still apply to join the collective via the charity’s website.
Image courtesy of Tracy Apps, with thanks.
