Pride Blackpool

Well done and thank you to everyone who attended the fabulous fundraiser at Garlands Blackpool yesterday. Raising a wonderful £422 plus £261 raised earlier in November 🏳️‍🌈

There’s still time to come down to Garlands for our Pride Blackpool Fundraiser. Lots of amazing acts still to come.
Great day so far.

A massive thank you to Rendezvous Bar & Rooms for raising £348 for Pride. We really appreciate all your support 🏳️‍🌈

Make sure you join us down at Garlands Blackpool tomorrow for an amazing afternoon of cabaret, entertainment and fun. Lots of prizes to be won, all in aid of Pride Blackpool 🏳️‍🌈

🌈Pride Fundraiser Charity Entertainment Day🌈

**** WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR EXTRA RAFFLE PRIZES for this event. If any local businesses or regulars would like to donate any prizes. All funds raised to go to Pride Blackpool ****

Starting at 3PM we will have Live Cabaret from Marigold Addams, Taylor Sparks, Missie Jay, Fran Collins, Miss Pearl, Chloe Byrnes, Sara Marie, Vanilla BonBon, Izzy Fierce, Victoria Roberts, Aaron Heath, Paul Robathan and more.

There will be raffles, games, and your fabulous resident drag hosts Lee Star and Campy Galore.

All proceeds will go to Pride Blackpool.

Next Sunday Garlands are hosting a fabulous fundraiser for Pride Blackpool 2024.

Another beary day ahead at Rendezvous Bar!
Bar open from 3pm with the fabulous Miss BB Brookes joining us at 5pm with great music and maybe a few games too! Our Pride Blackpool raffle will be drawn at approx 7pm, not too late to buy tickets! 🐻

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Please show your support and if you would like to join our lovely Jaide Foster-Howarth this evening as we gather to remember those we have lost, all are welcome.

Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance on 20th November that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Please show your support 🏳️‍⚧️

Everyone, please get involved and show your support for International Men's Day.

Follow the instructions below to make the pledge and share your support on socials.

We are half way through IMD week. Still time to make your pledge.
International Men's Day 2023 Call to Action 13th – 16th November 2023

As part of our commitment to support men on the Fylde Coast and in turn support all genders, we are asking our community to take part in the IMD2023 Call to Action and make the pledge.

What you need to do?
Between the 13th November and 16th November

Step one
Download and print the pledges or create your own
Share with your colleagues, young people, students' friends and family.

Step two
Take a photo with you and/or your group holding the pledge(s) or create a video of you saying your pledge(s) Like this

Step Three
Share this on your social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, LinkedIn with the hashtag and tag and/or United Youth Alliance CIC

For more information and to download our pledges cards, visit: https://buff.ly/3SxWvD0

Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance on 20th November that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Please show your support 🏳️‍⚧️

Today, we laid a wreath at the cenotaph representing the whole of the LGBT+ community in Blackpool to show our respect for all those who have fallen in war and conflict. We shall remember them.

A huge thank you to the Royal British Legion and to A&P Entertainment and all the supporting artists for a fabulous fundraiser last night. There was an excellent turnout and a grand total of £400 raised!! Well done to everyone involved 🏳️‍🌈

The fabulous Chloe kicking off the Blackpool Pride Fundraiser at the Royal British Legion,Blackpool. Lots more fabulous entertainment on the way.

Tomorrow night

Don’t forget our fundraiser hosted by A &P entertainment at The Royal British Legion this coming Friday night.
7pm

Have your say blackpool.gov.uk/beyou don’t moan have your say - make our area better say what you have to say 💙BPL

This is so important for our young members of the community to get involved and have their opinions and ideas for the future listened to and respected

Blackpool Council alongside other key organisations are encouraging conversations about the south western part of Claremont area. United Youth Alliance alongside young people have co-designed an engagement questionnaire to ask young people aged 12 - 25 about their views.If you are aged 12 - 25 your voice matters. Please complete the questionnaire. This will be open for responses from Tuesday 24th October 2023, closing on 5th December 2023.

https://forms.office.com/e/e4fstprtMz

On Thursday evening, we had the pleasure of meeting with a variety of guests who had expressed interest in joining us to help drive Pride forward to make it bigger and better.

It was wonderful to share our vision for the future and meet people from local businesses such as Merlin, The Grand Theatre, Tramshed Theatre Company, Blackpool FC, Abingdon Street Market, Pink Voices the lgbtq+ choir, Azura Hospitality aswell as some other inspirational people who want to work together to build a Blackpool Pride Festival to be proud of. We all left with a buzz of excitement and enthusiasm to be working together to make something special for 2024 and for years to come! 🏳️‍🌈

The last of our introductions to the current committee, and a familiar face around town for all things Pride, Paul Dewick Day. Paul was the Chair of Pride Blackpool for over 2 years prior to handing over the reigns to Sara last year.

I have now been involved with Blackpool Pride in various capacities for 5 years. The enthusiasm and commitment of the current committee inspired me to continue being a part of Pride Blackpool, from stepping down as chair a year or so ago. Promoting an inclusive and diverse society and engaging with the local LGBTQ+ community has always been a huge part of my life. I can’t wait for you to hear about the plans we have and look forward to working with the fabulous pride committee for years to come. 🏳️‍🌈

📢🚨🪩 ANNOUNCEMENT 🪩🚨📢

We are VERY excited to announce that our friends from the Blackpool LGBTQ+ venues are all joing forces to bring you a weekend of entertainment and partying to beat those winter blues.

Join us on 3rd & 4th February for our Blackpool Rainbow Weekender!

Thank you to each and every venue taking part. They will each be announcing their own exiting schedule of entertainment in the coming weeks.

Get those hotels booked and your party frocks ready!

All money raised will go to Blackpool Pride and Horizon. 🏳️‍🌈

Please take a moment to nominate Blackpool Pride in the 'Grassroots' and 'Pride Organisation' categories for the 2024 Pride Awards.

https://gaydioprideawards.co.uk/nominate/

We are proud to have Victoria Roberts on our committee as our entertainment coordinator.

Victoria is an established vocalist, entertainer, trained dancer and choreographer with many years experience in the business, performing her own cabaret shows both in the UK and overseas, touring in national theatre shows, pantomimes, cruises and resident in the West End.

Victoria has performed and supported the LGBTQIA+ scene since moving here to Blackpool at the turn of the millennium and is found working weekly at the likes of Peek A Booze & Sherlocks.

2019 saw Victoria as a judge on BBC1 All Together Now and she is a regular panto villian at many UK theatres. Victoria is currently the Entertainments Manager at both the Old Victoria venue Winter Gardens and Georgian & Hollies hotel Blackpool. She also has a weekly Saturday night show on Coastal Radio DAB. Victoria has been part of Blackpool Pride Festival Committee since 2020 and is very proud to be supporting the local community and spreading awareness for diversity and inclusiveness. 🏳️‍🌈

Deborah is the coordinator of Youth pride and has been part of Pride for a number of years.

Deborah has been a youth worker in Blackpool for over 25 years and worked alongside young LGBTQ people to shape services and youth provision. 🏳️‍🌈

Our very own Carolyn Mercer talks to the Independent about her experiences with 'conversion therapy' as a teenager.

‘Conversion is not therapy – it is torture’: Trans women urge Sunak to commit to ban Prime minister told to ignore Tories seeking to oppose ban and get on with it: ‘No more loopholes, no more delay’

Ian (know to most as Pudsley) has been our treasurer for a number of years, keeping the Pride finances in check.

Ian has worked in the LGBTQ+ community for 21 years and has a passion to see our community and pride go from strength to strength. 🏳️‍🌈

Blackpools very own LGBTQ+ independent travel agent and drag queen. Give Gegg a follow 🏳️‍🌈

Tonight we highlight our Vice-Chair, Angela Buckley.

Angela has been a member of the pride committee for several years now and has played an active part in the organisation of all our pride events since 2018.

Alongside supporting our Chair, her role involves looking after our social media, website, PR, and digital & print marketing.

She has also taken care of our volunteers and organised our stall holders at both summer and winter prides for the last 2 years.

You may also have spotted her shaking a bucket or collection tub at one of our many fundraisers over the years! 🏳️‍🌈

We have had some lovely welcoming responses to the announcements of our new committee members, so we thought it would be nice to re-introduce our existing team as we embark on the planning of Pride 2024.

Firstly, our Chair, Sara Cheston.

Sara has been Chair of the committee for a year now and has guided the team through two hugely successful Pride events in 2023 (Winter Pride in February and Summer Pride in June).

She is highly respected within the community and is passionate about continuing the success of Pride within local youth and community groups to celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity in Blackpool.

She regularly gives up her spare time to lead on some of our amazing fundraiser events to support Pride and raise awareness within the town.
🏳️‍🌈

Blackpool Council alongside other key organisations are encouraging conversations about the south western part of Claremont area. United Youth Alliance alongside young people have co-designed an engagement questionnaire to ask young people aged 12 - 25 about their views.If you are aged 12 - 25 your voice matters. Please complete the questionnaire. This will be open for responses from Tuesday 24th October 2023, closing on 5th December 2023.

https://forms.office.com/e/e4fstprtMz

Today celebrates National Coming Out Day. Do you have an inspiring coming out story you would like to share?

Thank you so much to all involved.

30 YEARS OF BONNIE LA BLUE

Today we raised £522 for Official Donna's Dream House - Blackpool and Pride Blackpool thanks to the generosity of all who attended and Scott and Steven our owners.

Half will go to each charity.

Thanks so much to everyone who came to celebrate the fabulous Jamie Morris and 30 years of Bonnie La Blue.

Pride Blackpool would like to congratulate Bonnie La Blue on 30 years in showbiz! 💃

A huge thank you to Bonnie for all the support given pride over the years and also a massive thank you to Garlands Blackpool for raising funds for pride today 🏳️‍🌈

🎉 30 YEARS OF BONNIE 🎉

TOMORROW

We will be celebrating 30 years of Bonnie La Blue with her fabulous celebration extravaganza starting at 3PM.

Bonnie has lots of her showbiz friends coming to perform for you and will be raising money for Official Donna's Dream House - Blackpool and Pride Blackpool. There will be raffle prizes to be won including hotel stays, chocolate bouquets, 3 course dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Manchester.

There will be a buffet and Bonnie’s chilli. Not to forget Open The Box (£125 Jackpot).
It’s going to be an incredible day.

Aurabelle Sutra will be hosting shot karaoke from 7PM.

You can double up for free on your spirits 🎉

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

We are looking for an artist to collaborate with us on the development of The People’s Pantry - an alternative food community model.

Over the past five years, our work has been shaped by conversations with the community, which has highlighted the topics of food security, green space, and the option to grow food locally as reoccurring themes.

In 2023, we decided in partnership with our communities, that we wanted to test a different way of doing things and The People’s Pantry represents an experimentation of this.

We want to build a creative model that takes into consideration all the unique assets we have locally, and reflects it back out to the wider community as a clear project that is easy to understand and get involved in.

We would like to commission an artist who will help us refine this process.

Find out more about the opportunity and apply now ➝ https://leftcoast.org.uk/blackpool-artist-in-residence-commission-pantry/