Pride in Hull is delighted to announce that BP has become the first partner of the event for 2019 and will work with organisers to deliver the annual celebration of the LGBT+ community that promotes inclusivity in the city and beyond.
The 2018 event, which was also supported by BP, attracted over 50,000 attendees, making it one of the biggest free Pride events in the country. It was also shortlisted in the annual REYTA Awards in the Remarkable Tourism Event category.
Plans are already well underway for this year’s event including Pride in Hull’s most spectacular line-up for the main stage. The festival, which takes place on Saturday 20 July will begin with a huge parade through the city, with creative input managed by the team behind the Back to Ours festival. The parade will be followed by the festival itself, which will see international artists from across the world of music and entertainment performing in Queens Gardens.
Matt Walton, Chair of Pride in Hull said: “We’re very pleased to welcome BP back as partners of the event. We choose who to approach about partnerships very carefully as its important to us that we share the same values. We truly applaud their commitment to equality and we look forward to working with them on the day itself and beyond.”
Karen de Lathouder, BP Hull plant manager, said: “We’re proud to once again be part of Pride in Hull and support our local community.
“At BP, creating an inclusive environment for everyone to thrive in is one of our core values. We want to create a workplace where everyone feels respected and included, and safe to be open about who they are.
“We strongly believe that creating this type of inclusive environment is the right thing to do, and it also creates the diversity that is vital for our future success. Supporting Pride in Hull helps us show our local community how passionate we are about this commitment.”
Ben France is the Hull lead for BP Pride, the group which supports LGBT+ inclusion. He added: “Our focus on these topics is primarily to support our employees, make them feel welcome, and ensure they can bring their whole self to work with no fear of judgement or discrimination.
“Taking part in events like Pride in Hull is an active step to support our LGBT colleagues and sends a public message of support, which I believe will help us continue to attract the best talent.”
The support of partners allows Pride in Hull remain free to attend and for the event to improve year-on-year. It has also allowed the charity that organises the event to expand into other areas of support for the LGBT+ community.
Matt Walton continued: “We had an incredible year in 2018 and we’re confident people will love what we have planned this year too. However, we couldn’t achieve any of it without the support of our partners who make it possible.”
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