New Brighton’s first ever Pride – Pride at the Seaside – is just a few months away, so we had a chat with community organiser and freelance photographer, Jamie Lee Carter, to find out all about this brand new event, the inspiration behind it and how you can get involved
Jamie, you’re a community organiser for Pride at the Seaside and you’re based in Wallasey – what is the community like on the Wirral and how did the new event come about?
“Well here on the Wirral we have a massive and close LGBT+ community but there has never been a Pride or anything to celebrate it. Myself and others thought it was about time that changed, we live in such a beautiful place full of beautiful people and thought it was about time that changed.”
Do you think there are enough spaces/events for LGBT+ people in Wirral at the moment?
“Unfortunately no, there are currently zero LGBT+ venues on the Wirral. There are plenty of LGBT+ friendly venues, but nothing we can call our own. I have worked in hospitality before and would love to see it happen and think the need is definitely there. Honestly, all it would take is someone to take a leap of faith and try it out I’d happily offer whatever support I could!”
What was your inspiration for Pride at the Seaside?
“I was sat down in New Brighton one afternoon, not long after the lockdowns ended and it had been something I wanted to arrange for a while, so I thought ‘I should do it now’ – what better time after the unprecedented amount of isolation. Also, how can we be called ‘New Brighton’ – named after one of the LGBT+ capitals of the UK – and have absolutely nothing for our community here?”
How did you start working with LCR Pride Foundation to make Pride at the Seaside a reality?
“I put a post out on Facebook to find out what people’s feelings were about us having our first ever Pride and I was contacted by LCR Pride Foundation to see how they could help. I don’t think this event would have happened this year without LCR Pride Foundation’s support and the theme of ‘come together ‘couldn’t be more appropriate as we are all coming together to make it happen. The public feedback and support was incredible and that’s when it got even more real and we decided it had to be something special.”
What are the plans currently for this year’s event? What can people expect?
“It’s constantly evolving and there’s plenty of exciting things in the pipeline, but people can expect a family-friendly day out by the beach with lots to see and do. One of my passions is for us to celebrate where we’ve come from and help shape where we are going and what a perfect way this is to do it!”
How can people support and get involved?
“We are looking for volunteers to get Involved on the day with various roles but we would also love local businesses to get involved in supporting New Brighton’s first ever Pride, and we’re working out ways to do this, so please keep an eye on our social media pages!
Most of all, we want our beautiful LGBT+ community out in force. This event is for you to celebrate who you, so please save the date, follow us on socials and come along to sunny New Brighton on the 27th of August!!”
Follow Pride at the Seaside on Twitter and Facebook and learn more here.
