Durham Pride will go ahead as planned later this month despite the withdrawal of council funding, with organisers saying the decision has sent a message that the event is not welcome rather than having any practical impact on its delivery.
Durham County Council confirmed last year that it would no longer provide its annual £2,500 contribution to the event, saying the money would instead be redirected towards key public services.
Pride organisers said the loss of funding had not affected preparations for this year’s celebrations, but criticised the move as symbolic. Durham Pride chair Mel Metcalf said the organisation would not have accepted funding from the Reform UK‑run authority in any case, citing the party’s position on trans issues.
“The £2,500 was never really the issue,” Metcalf said. “It was the message being sent. A year on, that message still seems to be that Pride isn’t welcome in Durham, which is a real shame.”
Durham’s annual Pride celebrations are due to take place at the end of May, with up to 6,000 people expected to attend the parade at Palace Green on 30 May.
Metcalf said some LGBTQ+ people in the county now felt “a bit isolated”, but added that there was also a strong sense of resilience within the community.
“If they think £2,500 is going to fill many potholes or fix the problems it’s been diverted to, I think they’re mistaken,” they said.
Graham Robson
Durham Pride has received financial support from the council since at least 2016. In 2023, the authority’s festivals team also provided £10,000, while individual councillors have historically backed the event through discretionary budgets.
A spokesperson for Durham County Council said requests for event funding were assessed against council priorities.
“The council has historically supported a range of festivals and events that benefit communities and the local economy,” the spokesperson said. “All requests for assistance are considered carefully on a case‑by‑case basis in line with policy objectives and priorities.”
Trade unions have stepped in to support the event’s future, with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) helping to raise more than £15,000.
Dave Pike, the TUC’s regional secretary for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, said the funding decision had sent a “devastating” message to the LGBTQ+ community but expressed confidence that Durham Pride would continue.
“With the strong support Durham Pride has in the community and from the trade union movement, I’m confident it will keep happening every year,” Pike said.
Durham County Council’s deputy leader Darren Grimes criticised the event in a post on X last year, arguing it had “stopped being a celebration of gay rights a long time ago”.
While stating that Pride could “go ahead safely”, Grimes said the council was “not an ATM for contested causes” and that residents expected funding to be prioritised for services such as road repairs and waste collection.
Scene was founded in Brighton in 1993, at a time when news stories about Pride protests were considered radical.
Since then, Scene has remained proudly independent, building a platform for queer voices. Every subscription helps us to report on the stories that matter to LGBTQ+ people across the UK and beyond.
Your support funds our journalists and contributes to Pride Community Foundation’s grant-making and policy work.
Member discussion