LES PRATT

Who are you?
Les Pratt

What do you do?
Producer for BBC Radio 3

How did you get involved in Manchester Pride?
I moved to Manchester from London in autumn 2002, just after the Commonwealth Games; my first taste of Manchester Pride was the 2003 Europride festival. Earlier that year, I’d set up a charity event called Mission Malawi which raises money for, and awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Malawi. We entered a float in the Europride parade and have done so ever since. Manchester’s gay scene has been so important to the growth and success of Mission Malawi, and made my first few years in the city an absolute pleasure. To me, Manchester has the best-organised and most welcoming Pride festival in the UK, and I look forward to the event with more relish and excitement every year.

How long have you been a Board member?
Since December 2006.

What are your aspirations for Manchester Pride?
I really hope that Manchester Pride will continue do develop as a focus of celebration for this city’s diverse LGBT community. The big weekend is always a fantastic climax to the festival, but I would love to see the arts, sports and community-based events play an even more important and popular role in the proceedings. Now that Manchester Pride has become a charity in its own right.

As a relative newcomer to the city, I am honoured and delighted to be part of the Manchester Pride set-up, and look forward to helping Manchester Pride in its forthcoming festivals.