By Josh Parry
Asked why a Pride event – which is seen by many as a form of protest first and foremost – costs this much to run, Dee told the BBC: “It’s about making safe spaces, not just emotionally safe but physically safe for everybody there as well – it means paying for security staff, barriers, road closures.
“As Pride grows, and the numbers grow, the cost and the level of health and safety and other infrastructure grows as well. No Pride would be able to go ahead without meeting those health and safety regulations.”
Although the focus this weekend will be very much on the capital, UKPON told the BBC that Pride events up and down the country are facing similar issues.
In April UKPON asked its 201 members whether they were facing any financial or operational pressures.
Of the 112 organisations that responded:
More than 85 reported lost revenue from corporate sponsorships and partnerships this yearMore than 40 said that the drop was between 26% – 50% compared to last year21 said they’d experienced their revenue fall by more than half in that same periodMore than 60 said they’d seen reductions in grants from corporations or charities
In recent weeks, several Pride organisations have taken the decision to cancel events.
Liverpool City Region Pride announced in June that rising costs and difficulty securing funding “made it impossible to bring Pride to Liverpool this year”.
Another charity has since stepped in to organise an alternative event.