## **Chair of Trustees Report for Pride in Belper 2023/24** ## **Introduction** As Chair of Trustees for Pride in Belper, I am pleased to present our annual report for 2023/24. This year marked a significant milestone, showcasing our commitment to inclusivity and celebrating diversity within our community. - Pride in Belper exists to normalise the visibility of LGBTQ+ people, promote community inclusion, and celebrate the diversity of identity for everyone. We focus on four pillars: Sustainability, Accessibility, Inclusivity, and Diversity. These pillars shape our events, ensuring that we welcome everyone while challenging exclusion and discrimination. ## **Successes** 1. **Largest Event to Date** : This year's Pride event was our largest yet, with record attendance of around 11,000-11,500. The enthusiasm and energy demonstrated the growing support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Belper. 2. **Good Weather** : The excellent weather on the day helped create an inviting atmosphere that brought the community together for a day of celebration. 3. **Community Involvement** : A diverse range of local organisations participated, enhancing the event and fostering greater community solidarity. 4. **Youth Engagement** : The Blend Youth Project played a key role this year, leading youth work initiatives and engaging younger participants, creating a vibrant and inclusive environment. 5. **Children’s Area** : The dedicated children’s area was full of activity, offering a safe and fun space for families. This highlighted the importance of creating a family-friendly event. 6. **Accessibility Features** : Investments in accessibility, such as the Mobiloo/Revolootion, BSL interpreters, and a quiet space for neurodiverse people, ensured the event was inclusive. 7. **Enhanced Planning** : A new Control Point successfully improved event flow and reduced congestion around the Memorial Gardens. 8. **Shop Window Display Competition** : Shop displays throughout town were a fantastic addition, showcasing local support for Pride and increasing visibility. This initiative was well received. 9. **Parade Highlights** : After an inspiring speech from Zoe (Belper School), Belper Boom led the parade with music and energy. The Belper School samba band added to the celebratory atmosphere. The parade followed the same route as in previous years, with road closures and volunteers ensuring safety. 10. **Partnership with Belper School** : This year, we collaborated with Belper School during their creative industries day. The school made octopuses in different LGBTQ+ flag colours for the parade, and their samba band performed. 11. **Belper in Bloom** : We were invited to speak about Pride during the judges' visit for Belper in Bloom, further highlighting our visibility and impact. 12. **Dog Show** : The well-attended dog show, held the following day, featured numerous stalls and excellent prizes. Judging by Bridget and Claire added a professional touch to the competition. ## **Challenges** 1. **Homophobia and Transphobia** : Open hostility was encountered during the Inclusive Book Reading event at the library. 2. **Cancelled 'Dragged Up in Belper' Event** : The planned showing of _Rocky Horror_ at the Ritz was cancelled due to difficulties obtaining a license and low interest. 3. **Proud Voices** : A supervised platform for young people to share their views was cancelled due to poor advertising, though a few young people did show interest. 4. **Uncooperative Shop Owners** : Some local businesses were uncooperative, highlighting the need to build stronger relationships for future events. 5. **Police Presence** : We recognised the need for continuous police presence throughout the day for safety, which was lacking this year. 6. **Unregistered Stalls** : An unregistered stall holder created confusion. Strengthening our procedure to manage unapproved participants will be important going forward. 7. **More Music Needed** : Feedback suggested more music during the parade would improve the atmosphere, so we aim to incorporate more acts next year. 8. **Dog Show Logistics** : Providing drinks and snacks at the dog show was unnecessary, as independent stall holders covered this. More volunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. 9. **Evaluation** : A robust evaluation of volunteers, stall holders, and performers was carried out to inform future improvements. ## **Impact** Pride in Belper's impact continues to grow, drawing people to the town throughout the year. Belper is increasingly seen as an inclusive town, and we are now approached when homophobia or transphobia occurs. ## **Financial Overview** Please refer to the Treasurer’s report. ## **Governance and Management** There were no changes to the committee this year. We continued with five committee members and four associates, covering areas such as volunteers, families, sound and performance, and drag. For 2024/25, we plan to increase the number of committee members, separating responsibilities for children and young people, with Blend Youth Project facilitating youth activities. ## **Conclusion and Future Directions** This year has been a significant milestone for Pride in Belper, filled with achievements and lessons. Moving forward, we will focus on addressing the challenges we faced, while building on our successes. Strengthening community partnerships, enhancing volunteer engagement, and expanding programming will be our priorities for the coming year. Thank you to our volunteers, trustees, partners, and the community for your unwavering support. Together, we will continue to make Belper a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. ## **Sarah Barley-McMullen** Chair of Trustees Pride in Belper 10 October 2024 ## **Pride in Belper (1202064), Trustees’ Annual Report: Secretary** ## **1[st] October 2023 to 31[st] September 2024** ## Mee�ngs of the Commi�ee: Between October 2023 and the end of September 2024 the commi�ee met 16 �mes. All mee�ngs had quorate a�endance. Minutes were kindly recorded by Adrian Farmer and stored centrally. ## Trustees for 2023 to 2024: The named trustees for Pride in Belper at the end of the repor�ng year (September 2024) were: - Sarah Barley-McMullen (Chair) - Mary McLean-Farmer (Treasurer) - Helen Barley-McMullen (Secretary) - Adrian Farmer - Lyndsey Myers ## Ac�vi�es and Achievements: Pride in Belper has stayed true to the cons�tu�on of the charity; seeking to inform and unify. During the period of October 2023 to September 2024 the charity has delivered/par�cipated in: - **Pride in Belper 03/08/23 –** Large community event based on the celebra�on and educa�on surrounding the LGBT+ family held in the heart of Belper and including the wider community of Belper. A�ended by an es�mated staggering 11,500 people with at least 5,000 partaking in the parade. We implemented the learning from the previous year which enhanced our resilience. Thanks to the teamwork and dedica�on of the commi�ee and our volunteers, it was s�ll a great success. - **Pride in Belper Fun Dog Show 04/08/23** – Fun dog show hosted by PiB and held in the centre of Belper. The event was well a�ended with over 200 dogs joining the show categories. - **PiB a�endance at or par�cipa�on/involvement with:** - Local farmers market - ‘Belper Goes Green’ fes�val weekend - Church anniversary community display - Secondary school arts open day - Belper Town Council applica�on for Bri�an in Bloom Submi�ed by: Helen Barley-McMullen, Secretary, Pride in Belper Signed: Dated: 13/10/2024 ## **Treasurer’s report for 1st October 2023 to 30[th] September 2024.** Costs of First Aid and Insurance have continued to rise since 2023 but our continued good relationship with East Midlands Medical Services has resulted in a favourable deal for next year’s event. Our Grants Officer was able to procure some funding to allow us to provide four BSL signers this year along with a sensory/quiet area and our local town council have contributed towards signage and radio hire. We again were able to supply a Revolootion changing places toilet and the owners of No28 on the Market Place ran an LGBT+ café (also offering free refreshments for our volunteers). The weather was an improvement on last year which resulted in a good turn out and an increase in donations. The Dog Show was popular with more entries this year than previously. Mary McLean Farmer Treasurer Pride in Belper 03/10/2024 **– Pride in Belper Balance Sheet 1[st] October 2023 30[th] September 2024** |Brought forward|7473.85|Expenditure|12516.73| |---|---|---|---| |**Income:**||At bank|6372.67| |Sponsorship|1255||| |Donations|585.17||| |Stalls|2580||| |Grants (restricted funds)|2818.28||| |Events & merch|3146.10||| |Other (+float return)|1031||| |Total Income|**£11415.55**||| |**Total**|**£18889.40**|**Total**|**£18889.40**| |||Carried forward|£6372.67| |**Expenditure:**||(£679.60 is restricted)|| |Flags, banners etc|231.98||| |Website|112.91||| |Road /licenses/Signs/4x4 group|
584.02||| |Merchandise|2033.66||| |Events insurance|868.24||| |Revoloo|491||| |First aid|3049||| |Stage hire|745||| |Performers|170||| |Events sundries|2530.92||| |BSL|900||| |Cash withdraw (Floats)|800||| |Total Expenditure|**£12516.73**|||