Community groups and good causes across Brighton and Hove are being invited to bid for grants from the Pride Social Impact Fund.
They have until the end of the month to submit a bid for a grant, with the organisers saying: “For one weekend every year, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Brighton and Hove to mark the LGBT celebration, which is one of the biggest in the UK.
“Community groups are now being invited to bid for money raised from the event to ensure that the positive message of Pride has an impact on areas of the city all year round.
“Now in its third year, the Pride Social Impact Fund is accepting applications from groups or organisations which need a little helping hand in making a difference in their community.”
All applications ned to be in by noon on Thursday 30 November.
Tim Ridgway, chairman of the Pride Social Impact Fund, said: “In just a few years, the Social Impact Fund has made a massive impact to the lives of thousands of people across the city, proving that the Pride celebrations can have an impact on the community beyond just one weekend a year.
“I’m delighted to say that this year we have a record amount of money to distribute.
“I urge groups across the city to submit their bids as soon as they can and look forward to being able to help some amazing grassroots groups put a little bit of Pride back into our city.”
The Pride Social Impact Fund was set up in 2015 and has awarded about £15,000 to groups across the city so far.
Projects do not have to be LGBT related – and they don’t even have to be directly linked to Pride although applicants directly affected will be favoured.
However big or small, the main criterion is that each project will brighten up people’s lives by the time that Pride comes round again next year.
This year up to £19,755 is available for groups to bid for.
Funding comes from contributions made by businesses within the Pride Village Party in the St James’s Street area as well as extra funding from Pride ticket sales.
Bids will be considered by a panel made up of representatives from Brighton and Hove News, The Argus, the Brighton and Hove Independent, Gscene, Sussex Life, Latest magazine and Latest TV, BBC Sussex and Juice 107.2.
Among those awarded grants last year was the Tarner Community Project, which received £1,000 towards creating drop-in sessions for young people not in education, employment or training.
Other grants included £500 to the Friends of Preston Park towards an Easter egg hunt and quiz and £300 to Ardingly Court Residents’ Association for a new lawn mower and garden shredder.
The Little Green Pig creative writing charity, in Brighton, was awarded £500 to help fund a videographer for its This Is My City project.
Emily Hogan, of Little Green Pig, said: “This was a really special project for us. In the end, 120 children from across the city contributed to writing the travel guide and we are all so proud of the result. Thank you to everyone at the Social Impact Fund for their incredible support.”
Paul Kemp, director of Brighton and Hove Pride, said: “Pride is only able to deliver this fundraising with the help of local businesses who contribute to the fund but we’d like to encourage more local businesses across the city, who benefit from the bumper weekend of business Pride brings into the city, to get involved with our fundraising efforts for all our communities.”
How to apply
The Social Impact Fund has been set up to provide small grants for communal good. Grants are awarded annually to organisations or groups within the city, with particular emphasis on areas directly affected or in the footprint of Brighton and Hove Pride.
Submissions should be a maximum of 400 words mapping out how the money will be spent and why the cause is deserving. Please note the maximum award will be £1,000. There is no lower limit.
There is no restriction on the number of entries by individual groups. However, the emphasis is on supporting community and grassroots groups, rather than individuals.
Submissions should be emailed to bhsocialimpactfund@gmail.com by noon on Thursday 30 November.
Successful applicants will be informed by the end of December – and any money distributed must have had a visible outcome by the start of Pride 2018 next August.
