GHT Homepage Press Releases £115K raised at Pride - heading for record again

£115K raised at Pride - heading for record again
6th Oct 2005

Operation Fundraiser predicts record sum raised in 2005 at Manchester Pride

Manchester Pride 2005 is expected to have been the most successful fundraising event ever for HIV causes, according to the UK’s second largest HIV charity, George House Trust.

At the HIV Candlelit Vigil on 29 August 2005, Paul Martin from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, announced that £115,000 in funds had already been raised by Operation Fundraiser during this year’s Manchester Pride festival; the biggest amount ever received by the close of the 10 day event.

In 2003, EuroPride in Manchester raised a record £127,000 for charity. That total was smashed in 2004, when Manchester Pride raised a massive £131,000 - however only £110,000 had been confirmed by the HIV Candlelit Vigil. With £115,000 already confirmed this year, it is expected that, once all funds are counted, Manchester Pride 2005 will surpass all previous fundraising successes.

This year’s expected final sum brings the total amount raised by Manchester Pride to almost £400,000 in the last three years, making it the biggest HIV and LGBT fundraising initiative ever.

Proceeds from the ticket sales for Manchester Pride go to Operation Fundraiser, a partnership between George House Trust and the Lesbian & Gay Foundation, to raise funds for HIV and LGBT charitable organisations in Greater Manchester.

Paul Martin, Chief Executive of The Lesbian and Gay Foundation says: “We have much to be proud of in Manchester. Together we have created a successful international festival to be proud of and which has raised a record amount for HIV and LGBT charities and organisations in Greater Manchester.”
The funds are spent as follows:

• 25% goes to the George House Trust Welfare Fund. Every single penny of this money is paid to people living with HIV for the very basics of life such as food, emergency bedding and heating
• 25% goes to the Lesbian and Gay Foundation to fund the free gay and bisexual men’s safer sex packs distributed throughout Greater Manchester
• 25% goes towards the Community Futures pot for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender charities
• 25% goes towards the Community Futures pot for HIV initiatives, such as the newly diagnosed course soon to be launched by George House Trust.

Michelle Reid, Chief Executive of George House Trust comments: “Over the past year the GHT Welfare Fund has helped 583 people in financial difficulties. Although we're living in one of the richest countries in the world, many people are still living in dire financial circumstances, and some of our service users have no income.

“All the money given out by GHT in grants comes from individual donations and fundraising through Operation Fundraiser - since 1985 we have paid out over £1 million pounds in hardship grants to people with HIV in the region.

“In 2004-2005 over £103,000 has been paid out from the Welfare Fund, which has never been under more stress than it is now. It is a shocking fact that in 2005 we are paying grants which are literally putting food on tables.”

Since Operation Fundraiser was launched as a year round fundraising initiative in April 2003, Community Futures has also given out £279,811 to LGBT and HIV charities and groups across Greater Manchester.

To find out more about the work of George House Trust visit www.ght.org.uk.
To find out more about the work of Operation Fundraiser visit www.operationfundraiser.com


For more media information or interviews, please call Meera Sengupta, Victoria Jones, or Christopher Charlton at Koan PR on 0161 237 9994 or email victoria@koanpr.co.uk.