Hallmark and UKG join list of sponsors and smash target to cover Pride In London costs
Generous sponsors have helped the GCA smash its target to cover the costs of taking part in the Pride In London parade on 1 July for the first time – and there are still some walking spaces for those who would like to join the march.
With UK Greetings and Hallmark coming in as the latest sponsors, joining Belly Button Designs, Cath Tate Cards, Graphite Creative, Spring & Autumn Fair, The Imaging Centre, Ohh Deer, Lucy Maggie Designs, Windles, and Ricicle Cards, it means the GCA’s 50 places on the route from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall Place can be offered to industry folk for free.
“We’ll be providing banners, placards and other accessories on the day,” Mark Callaby, Ohh Deer’s co-founder and chairman of the GCA’s diversity and inclusion sub-committee, told PG Buzz, “but dressing loud and proud is encouraged!”
While some places have been reserved for sponsors the rest are up for grabs, allocated on a first come first served basis – to apply click here – and confirmation of secured spots will be sent over the next couple of weeks with all participants then invited to an online meeting with Mark to discuss details for the day itself. Marchers will be expected to cover their own travel costs.
Mark added: “We’re also asking for donations of LGBTQ+ themed greeting cards. These can relate to Pride or simply celebrate love, being yourself, etc. We’ll be handing these cards out along the route to the thousands of people watching – no donation is too small, but the more you can donate the better! We simply ask that the cards are family friendly.”
To comply with Pride In London sustainability rules, the cards – not the marchers! – should be naked with a nested envelope, any cards wrapped in single-use plastic or stickered with a clasp can’t be accepted.
The cards can be dropped off at the organisers’ office during PG Live, at London’s Business Design Centre on 6-7 June, or posted to the Ohh Deer warehouse: Mark Callaby, Ohh Deer Ltd for the attention of GCA, Unit 6/6a, Hawker Business Park, Melton Road, Burton On The Wolds, Loughborough, LE12 5TQ, to arrive by Friday, 16 June, 2023.
“We’re very excited about joining the Pride In London celebrations,” Mark said, “and believe this is a fantastic opportunity for us to shout about our amazing industry and show our support to the LGBTQ+ community.
“Being a part of both the greeting card industry as well as the LGBTQ+ community I know first-hand how powerful it can be to receive a greeting card of love and support when you’re struggling to come to terms with your own identity.”
This is the 51st Pride In London event with the GCA joining the 500 groups and over 30,000 participants on the day as the vibrant parade winds from Hyde Park Corner along to Piccadilly, down past the main stage at Trafalgar Square, to Whitehall Place, a distance of just over a mile.
Publishers David Nichols-Rice, of Ricicle Cards, and Dean Morris Cards’ eponymous owner have volunteered to join the GCA Pride In London sub-committee alongside council members Mark and Amanda, plus Rachel Hare of Belly Button Designs, Max Publishing’s Jakki Brown, UK Greetings’ Darren Cave, Sarah-Jane Porter of Moonpig, and Adriana Lovesy from Mrs Lovesy.
“The Pride In London mission is to ‘unite the LGBT+ voice, amplify diversity and protest against inequality’, values that are supported by the GCA,” association ceo Amanda Fergusson explained. “We will be a 50-person walking group, supporting the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating the wonderful and diverse greeting cards that our industry produces – and the fact we’ve completely smashed our sponsorship target is absolutely brilliant!”
The link to apply to be one of the GCA’s 50 walkers can be found here.
