Manchester Pride Announces "Transparent Review" About Purpose And Finances
August 17, 2021Manchester Pride, one of the largest Pride organizations in the UK, has announced it will conduct a "transparent review" into its purpose and finances after critics accused it of losing sight of what Pride is, following the decision to remove funding for Manchester charities while giving the CEO a £20,000 pay rise.
Earlier this month, Manchester Pride announced it would be ending financial support to a number of charities, including the pioneering scheme with the LGBT Foundation – which has provided free condoms and lube to LGBTQ+ people in Manchester for 30 years – due to budget limitations. The Safer-Sex Pack Project distributes 90,000 packs annually, with Manchester Pride meeting the £40,000 annual cost. Set up in 1994, it has been the longest-running free service in the world. According to Manchester Pride, the impact of the pandemic had made it difficult to raise revenue streams and so the decision was made to preserve the charity's financial position.
Criticism isn't new for Manchester Pride. In recent years, the organization has been under scrutiny for moving the traditional Pride away from Manchester's LGBTQ+ village, instead using local car parks and other spaces to charge almost £85 for a music festival. Access to Manchester Pride venues in the village charges £17.50 a day to access. The Parade, the free aspect of Manchester Pride, has been canceled this year due to "Covid limitations" according to organizers, while the festival goes on.
Speaking on Radio Manchester, CEO Mark Fletcher came under fire after revealing that, in the last two years, he received £20,000 in pay rises, making his pay now nearly over £100,000 annually. Defending the decision of the charity to reduce its charitable works despite making record takings prior to Covid, Fletcher said that the trustees had elected “to restructure the way that our funding is distributed.”
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