Lunch Positive thank Pride after raising £4,465

Lunch Positive, the local HIV charity that provides a weekly HIV lunch club hosted a Community Café at Brighton Pride, on Saturday, August 5.

This was the sixth year Lunch Positive have provided the café, which was situated in the Community Village on Preston Park.

The café was delivered by a team of twenty-six volunteers, with another seventeen involved in preparing for the event. Over 400 voluntary hours in total were donated.

Volunteers came from the lunch club membership, the charity’s volunteer team and trustees, together with friends and supporters. The café served a range of affordable hot and cold and drinks.

Over a thousand people were served, raising a record total of £4,465 in sales. After the cost of staging the community cafe have been deducted, all proceeds will go towards running the HIV lunch club over the year ahead.

Gary Pargeter, Service Manager, said: “This year’s Pride was a wonderful and spectacular event throughout. We’re so grateful to actively be part of such an important community event, and one which raises valuable funds for our local community groups.

“Pride C.I.C. have been a great supporter, and it never ceases to amaze how the hugely complex plans for the whole event come together so successfully, all through the hard work and commitment of the Pride teams and volunteers.

We’re so grateful to everyone who supported the Community Café, customers, people who helped spread the news of our participation, and all the well-wishers we met on the day, and have since. Our café volunteer team was absolutely fantastic, working amazingly hard, giving so much to a cause they support, and of course giving up their valuable time on such a unique day of celebration.”

Comments from volunteers included: “It was a great day, I am so happy and proud to have been a part of the team”, “It was an honour to be part of this fantastic group”, and “What a privilege and pleasure to work alongside such an amazing team today in the park – you’re all awesome!”

Gary continued: “This is such a real example of self-empowerment and commitment to community, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has supported us and helped make this happen. Thank you all!”