Community groups and good causes across Brighton and Hove are being invited to bid for grants from the Pride Social Impact Fund.
The fund said: “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 fourth year, the Pride Social Impact Fund is accepting applications from groups or organisations which need a helping hand in making a difference in their community.
“And for the first year ever, the independent panel has the potential to consider one or two larger projects with a grant of up to £10,000 – but only if the independent panel feels the bid meets the criteria and objectives of the fund.”
Tim Ridgway, chairman of the Pride Social Impact Fund, said: “In just a few years the Pride Social Impact Fund has given dozens of grassroots groups across Brighton and Hove invaluable support, ensuring that Pride has a positive impact on residents across the city all year round.
“I am delighted to say that this year we have a record amount of money to distribute. This includes the potential to support one or two larger bids, providing they can prove they comprehensively meet the fund’s criteria and will directly supported residents who live in or near the footprint of Pride.
“So whether your idea is big or small, 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 has distributed more than £40,000 to groups across the city since it was started in 2016.
Projects and organisations do not have to be LGBT related, the fund said. They don’t even have to be directly linked to Pride although applicants directly affected by Pride will be favoured.
However big or small, the only criterion is that it will brighten up people’s lives by the time Pride comes round again next year.
This year, up to £45,000 is available for community groups across Brighton and Hove.
Funding comes from a ringfenced £1 per ticket from the LoveBN1 festival in Preston Park which raised £14,415 and contributions made by businesses towards the Pride Village Party in the St James’s Street area of £9,584.58, as well as top-up funding of £4,669 from Pride CIC.
The application process for this year’s fund is open now and bids will be considered by a panel made up of representatives from Brighton and Hove News, The Argus, BBC Sussex, Juice 107.2, the Brighton and Hove Independent, Sussex Life, Gscene, Latest magazine and Latest TV.
Last year the panel handed out nearly £20,000 to nearly 30 community groups and charities across Brighton and Hove.
This included supporting projects as varied as funding to the Friends of Dorset Gardens to improve accessibility of a park, £450 to Creative Cascade Recovery to support the creation of free community performances for a group which supports people in recovery from addictions and £500 to the Saltdean Lido towards plants for garden beds at the heart of the pool and community centre.
