Council takes Pride
30-JUL-10
Issued by: Angela Melvin
North Tyneside Council has attended its first Northern Pride festival - a regional celebration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB and T) population held in Newcastle.
The council had a market stall to promote its services, meet as many LGB and T residents as possible and identify those who may be interested in working with the council in future. A prize draw was on offer too, with the prize donated by the Village Hotel.
Pride is an annual event and has grown over the years. Estimates were that 10,000 people attended this year's event, with around 900 from North Tyneside. While it is targeted at the LGB and T communities, it is open to anyone to attend and is a family festival with music, entertainment and a carnival atmosphere.
During the afternoon, the council team talked to over 160 people about its services, including housing, young people's participation, fostering and registrars services.
One resident who attended the festival said: "I think it's great that the council is represented here at Northern Pride.
"As a gay man, it's reassuring to know that the council are actively working to involve the LGBT community, and are raising awareness of the work they've done and how we can be involved in future."
Cllr Glynis Barrie, cabinet member champion for equality and diversity, said: "All our diverse communities bring something special to our borough, giving us a great mix of people and experiences.
"We estimate that around 12,000 residents here are LGB or T. We need to make sure they have equal access to our services and have their views heard when we are planning service improvements."
Over 50 organisations were represented at Pride, including other local councils, the fire service, police, housing associations, trade unions and health agencies.
ENDS