Hastings Pride saved by taxi company amid cancellation fears

Organisers said the Pride parade and festival in Hastings would be cancelled due to a funding deficit and left the decision until Sunday afternoon to see whether they could be saved at the 11th hour.

But private hire company 247 Taxis and Coaches saved the festival less than 24 hours after it was said to be cancelled.

The latest news means festivalgoers will descend on the town next month

Festivalgoers shared their disappointment on social media on Sunday after event bosses issued this statement: 

"It is with a heavy heart and after exploring all options that our board of Directors has to make the sad announcement that the 2024 Hastings Pride Festival at the Oval and parade have to be cancelled due to a considerable funding and sponsorship deficit.

 

"It has been a year like no other.

 

"A main funder changed their criteria making us ineligible to apply this time, while other funds were no longer available or considerably reduced.

 

"Sponsorship has been almost non-existent and despite trying for numerous other funding pots and reaching out to businesses until the 11th hour we must make our decision now to avoid penalties on both infrastructure and acts so they can find alternative work.

 

"Our situation was further exacerbated this year as a previous event partner (a local businessman) took income from the bar amounting to several thousands of pounds, leaving a considerable hole in our funds for this year.

 

"We have been working with our other partners from last year to get the deficit sorted out, in addition to trying to get the money back which is owed to Hastings Pride. Without this unseen distraction we would have been in a comfortable position financially at the start of this year’s fundraising programme.

 

"We would like to reassure our community that this decision has not been taken lightly, all possibilities have been explored but the current financial deficit is something that none of our directors are in a financial position to gamble on.

 

"We had already worked hard to successfully reduce the event costs by 33% but after careful consideration, public safety responsibilities, costs etc and after consultation with the local statutory authority we have concluded that the event for 2024 will unfortunately be cancelled in its entirety.

 

"We understand that this will be a great disappointment to our local community (as it is to us) but please rest assured we have left no stones unturned, and this disappointing result does seem to be echoed across many events across the country.

 

"We would like to thank our sponsors so far for their ongoing support, whose contributions are invaluable and will be carried forward to make Hastings Pride 2025 a great success."

But the dismay did not last long as directors received sponsorship, for an undisclosed amount, from 247 Taxi owners Chris Vale and Tony Rose.

The pair issued a joint statement.

"All our drivers and staff firmly believe that Hastings Pride is one of the most important events in our town, fostering inclusivity and celebrating diversity in our community. Our sponsorship aims to support the continuation of this event and its positive impact on our local community."

This means the event and parade will go ahead on Sunday, August 25, in the Oval green.

The theme for this year's Pride will be "love in the community" in light of the last-minute support drummed up not only from the taxi company but also insurers Hastings Direct, Love Hastings and Southern Water.

A spokesman for the festival said: "When we stand by and support one another, it’s that spirit of true humanity which brings together our local community.

"Coming together with love and respect is what makes a real and positive difference to all our lives."