Gay pride organisers hope for big crowd

The annual celebration of gay and lesbian life is being held on Saturday, July 30 and will have licensed bars for the first time and The Vengaboys as headline act, leading to predictions of a significant increase on the crowd of almost 10,000 who went last year.

The event is being supported by Hull telecoms firm KC as main sponsor, and an invitation is being made to other local businesses to get on board as it will be the first time the city council has not provided funding.

Festival director Andy Train said: “We’re delighted with how far the event has come since the first Hull Pride 10 years ago. KC’s fantastic support means we can provide all the facilities we need to make the day enjoyable and accessible to everyone. We’ve also been granted a license for the first time this year and the revenue generated from the bars will be split between local charities and the costs of keeping Hull Pride running.”

The event is being billed as a celebration of community cohesion and will also feature fairground rides, face-painting for children and other activities.

Anna Millar, community relations manager at KC, said: “Supporting the community is important to KC. Hull Pride is a great celebration of diversity and inclusion and that’s why we’re delighted to get involved and help the event cater for even more people this year.”

The festival will be opened by the Lord Mayor of Hull, Coun Colin Inglis.

Mr Train added: “This year is the first year we’re not receiving any specific local authority funding and so we’re relying on help from the local business community.Businesses can lend their support through a range of sponsorship opportunities or through taking a stand at the event.”

For information on sponsorship and advertising ties call Simon Woolston on 07970 031042.