Having had to resign from Brighton Pride as a content writer and curator late last year due to health reasons, I find myself in an interesting position this week. Enviously on the outside looking in at the exciting plans, knowing the hard work, dedication and passion that goes into making Brighton Pride the best in the UK. Knowing just how important individual and city-wide support is and the difference it makes – not only to those involved with Pride but those benefiting from its year on year record amounts of fundraising.

So to every naysayer deriding the choice of 2018’s headliner I say this. Brighton Pride is Pride with a purpose, passionately fundraising for the Rainbow Fund and Social Impact Fund who in turn award grants to local LGBT+ organisations and charities including the LGBT Community Safety Forum, MindOut, Lunch Positive, Allsorts, Brighton Gems, The Clare Project, Rainbow Chorus, Older and Out, Sussex Beacon, Accessibility Matters, Whitehawk LGBT+ Support Group, Trans Alliance, Peer Action, B&H LGBT Switchboard and many, many more.

Be we young, old, Trans, queer, positive, lesbian, gay, bi, non-binary, regardless of race or religion, (or whatever our opinion about Britney!) these are the organisations you and I and those we love may need to be there for us one day. Organisations that ensure every pound raised by Brighton Pride for The Rainbow Fund will make a real difference to LGBT+ lives in our city. Not just on Pride day but every day. So if partying with Britney at Brighton Pride 2018 means that support can continue then oops let’s do it again…and again…and again.

Brighton & Hove Pride Saturday 4th August 2018. For information regarding tickets head over to Brighton Pride. £1 from every ticket sold for the Pride Festival in Preston Park, and £1 from every wrist band sold for the Pride Village Party goes directly to The Rainbow Fund. Last year Pride raised £90,000 – enabling groups and organisations to continue their work, and to fund innovative projects across the city.