Equity is supporting Durham Pride with a £7,200 donation after the annual event had its budget cut by Durham County Council, which is led by Reform.
The donation was announced on Saturday night at the Miners’ Hall in Durham, where Equity held a reception to celebrate the region’s trade union history. Mel Metcalf, organiser of Durham Pride, was handed a cheque by Equity President Lynda Rooke, who said that the union was “sending a message to Reform and any other group that is planning on attacking the cultural sector.”
The event took place as part of our annual conference, which is being held this year in Durham from Saturday 9 May to Monday 11 May, with guest speaker Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the City of Durham, addressing conference on Monday.
Earlier this week, we also announced that we have negotiated an agreement with Durham Pride for the first time in the event’s history, setting minimum pay, terms and conditions for performers engaged by the event.
Durham Pride will taking place on Saturday 30 May.
Presenting the donation, Equity President Lynda Rooke said:
“Equity – your union – will not allow a Pride event that brings work for our members and celebrates our performers to die. And I am proud to announce that Equity has stepped up… And what's even better is that this new agreement signed between Durham Pride and Equity will ensure decent standards for all our members and our workers. We are sending a message to Reform and any other group that is planning on attacking the cultural sector, which is: We see you, we will fight you, and we will succeed.”
Accepting the donation at the presentation, Mel Metcalf, organiser of Durham Pride, said:
“I just wanted to say thank you so much. I don't think you realise how much this really means to a small charity like ours… It's our 15th year [of Durham Pride] and what we've learned is that nobody can stop Pride. They said Pride won't happen, Pride is finished, Pride is done. But they don't control Pride, we do. So show up for Pride and get the banners out!”
