SHAFTESBURY ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THE ‘PRIDE IN LONDON’ POP-UP ON FOUBERT'S PLACE

 

Shaftesbury announces that the Pride in London pop-up has opened their doors on Foubert’s Place marking the 50 year anniversary of Pride. The pop-up offers a safe space for London's LGBT+ community, and is located at 15-17 Foubert’s Place, London, W1F 7QB - just off Carnaby Street - open through 3 July, 2022.

Brian Bickell, CEO at Shaftesbury says “We are delighted to welcome the Pride in London pop-up to Carnaby to mark their 50th anniversary. With the LGBT+ community being so present in the area it is important to us at Shaftesbury to mark the anniversary and to show our support for the community and beyond. Soho has embraced the LBGT+ community for generations so it’s fitting for us to mark this important Pride anniversary.”

The Pride in London store features comfy daytime lounge areas in partnership with partners IKEA and Coca Cola, and sells an assortment of gender-inclusive Pride merchandise, is home to an interactive social media wall, and will serve as a meeting hub for the community. On top of these social spaces, Pride in London is producing a series of evening events, in the build up to the Pride parade on Saturday 2nd July, and in celebration of Pride Month. Programming includes a wide variety of events, from a soirée with Mint and Exilio to a meaningful discussion with the Outside Project; public events for everyone to enjoy. Visitors even have the chance of winning a MATE bike.

Edward Charlton-Hassal, Deputy Head of Retail and Merchandising at Pride in London said, "It has been a genuine pleasure to be part of Pride in London's store. I have worked in the retail industry for the best part of 10 years and I have never seen such passion for a project come together. People from across the community united, helping to create the space.”

“Our store is a community hub for LGBT+ individuals and groups to meet and socialise in a safe environment. My favourite moment has been speaking with a mother of two who were attending their first pride this year in Yorkshire. They came for a chat and to understand more about pronouns and how she (mother of two) can be the best ally!”

Pride in London’s store and stalls offer the official 50th anniversary clothes and accessories. All profits raised from the store go towards Pride in London's Unity Fund which directly supports LGBT+ community projects and individuals.

Pride in London’s Unity Fund returns this year with £130,000 in grant funding available for London-based LGBT+ grassroot organisations. The Unity Fund is designed to reinforce LGBT+ communities by supporting grassroot organisations in London whose work directly benefits the lives of LGBT+ people. Applications for the Unity Fund will be opening later in 2022.

Anyone wishing to support the Unity Fund can purchase Pride in London’s merchandise in-store or donate online. The campaign for Pride this year, #AllOurPride, connects the present with five decades of powerful LGBT+ moments, celebrations, and historic community events in London. With a core focus on the importance of the Pride March, the campaign uses black and white historical imagery from archive collections that capture vignettes of the march’s significance, representing all LGBT+ voices from every era. It explores the community’s fight for respect, decriminalisation of love, and the challenging but ultimately victorious battles around Section 28 and the ban on gay men donating blood. In a time of tremendous adversity for the community on many fronts, #AllOurPride reflects the multitude of battles we have been fighting as a country and as a city. It also offers a platform to the community’s ongoing struggles, such as the fight to ensure a ban on conversion therapy for all members of the LGBT+ community.

Notes to editors:

About Carnaby:

Carnaby is in the heart of London’s West End, where over 100 retail brands of quality and distinction and over 60 independent restaurants, cafes and bars can be found across 14 streets, including the world famous Carnaby Street. Carnaby is a unique and iconic experiential shopping, dining and leisure destination.

Follow @CarnabyLondon and visit Carnaby.co.uk for full updates, news and information. Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury owns and manages a 16 acre property portfolio in the liveliest parts of London's West End. The portfolio comprises of restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, extending to apartments and offices in the highly popular, sought-after and prosperous locations of Carnaby, Seven Dials and Chinatown, together with substantial ownerships in East and West Covent Garden, Soho and Fitzrovia.

All our properties are close to the main West End Underground stations, and within ten minutes’ walk of the two West End transport hubs for the Elizabeth Line, at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street.

@shaftesburyplc shaftesbury.co.uk

ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON

Pride in London is a volunteer-led organisation responsible for delivering the capital’s flagship LGBT+ Pride parade and events since 2013. Pride in London’s mission is to promote visibility, unity, and equality in society for all LGBT+ people and allies. We do this by producing LGBT+ Pride events that inspire, celebrate, educate, and commemorate our diverse community.

This year marks 50 years since the UK’s first pride protest march took place in London in 1972. From these historic origins, the annual event now welcomes over 1.5 million LGBT+ people and allies onto the streets of London.

For more information, follow @prideinlondon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, or visit www.prideinlondon.org.

For further information please contact Meghan Ryan/ Hannah Deacon at Sister London [email protected] / [email protected]