Lottery grant will help stage Exeter Pride

Next Saturday, 16 May, Exeter Pride will kick off the Pride season in the UK - and it has just received National Lottery funding to help stage the event.

This will be the seventh Exeter Pride and it will be the biggest free celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities the county has seen to date.

In addition to receiving more than £4,000 thanks to a National Lottery Awards for All grant, Exeter Pride has recently also become a registered charity.

On Saturday Exeter Pride will begin at 12 noon with a parade from the St Sidwell Centre down Exeter High Street to Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Library and Rougemont Gardens, where a packed programme of activities will await.

It promises to be the biggest, most colourful such event, to date, with more than 2,000 people expected to take part in the largest rainbow flag parade the city has ever seen.

The parade will include community groups, firefighters, police, students, trade union groups, business LGBT groups and individuals.
It will also include volunteers carrying a 50-metre rainbow flag.

The parade will include stilt walkers, roller skaters, Street Heat samba band, circus skill performers, a fire engine, Morris dancers and more.

All are invited to walk in the parade in support of Exeter's LGBT communities or join in events which follow.

The events and activities at Exeter Phoenix will be family-friendly and include activities for children, young people and adults.

For the first time, the bigger and more exciting Pride Marketplace, which will include dozens of stalls from various organisations, will be held in Rougemont Gardens.

There will be a heath zone, ceilidh, workshops, panel debate, drumming circle, trans workshop and many other activities.

There will be information from local and national organisations, demonstrations, as well as fun activities.

Evening events will include live music from many popular local bands and DJs will round off the evening.

Admission to some evening activities will be by wristband only, which will be available from selected outlets.

Neil Clements, chairman of Exeter Pride committee, said: "Exeter Pride is a celebration of the the city and county's lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities.

"It is about us having pride in our contributions to not just a vibrant and diverse city, but all of Devon and the city and county having pride in us."

He added: "Exeter Pride would not be possible without generous donations from local businesses, organisations and individuals and the fundraising efforts of many volunteers.

"Together with generous sponsorship from our partners, we are able to keep all our daytime events, free-of-charge."

Neil added: "Volunteers are a vital part of helping to make things run smoothly and it would not be possible to stage the event without their help for which we are very grateful."

For further information about Exeter Pride on May 16 and other Pride committee-organised events or to sign up as a volunteer, visit the website: www.exeterpride.co.uk