The organisers of Brighton and Hove's Pride gay festival are looking at ways to turn their hugely popular event into a charity.

The Pride in Brighton and Hove Committee organises the annual event, which attracts more than 50,000 people each year.

This year the event is on Saturday August 9, with a procession through the streets of Brighton and Hove, which will culminate in a one-day festival of music and entertainment in Preston Park.

The event costs thousands of pounds to organise.

This year's event is going ahead despite up to £10,000 disappearing from the cash raised by last year's event. The money had been promised to Sussex charities.

Police are investigating the disappearance of the cash.

Last week the Pride in Brighton and Hove Committee announced it had managed to raise enough money to pay all the grants it had promised to the charities.

The committee has also announced its intention to gain charitable status, which will enable it to apply for grants and tap into other sources of money on offer to charities.

An extra general meeting is being held in Brighton tomorrow night and all members of the committee and Pride members are invited to the meeting to discuss and vote on the proposed move.

Martyn Roberts, treasurer of Pride in Brighton and Hove, said the organisation would first have to become a company limited by guaranteed liability. After that it could move forward to become a charity.

Mr Roberts said: "We can then proceed to become a not-for-profit organisation helping the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community from an educational point of view."

The extra general meeting is being held at Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomew Square, Brighton, tomorrow from 7pm.

Speaker Sally Kelly will give a talk about the benefits of gaining charitable status before members are asked to vote on the proposal.

Tuesday July 29, 2003