Bristol Pride is calling on people to support a crowdfunding bid to raise at least £5000 to support the infrastructure costs needed to put on the festival.

Pride, which costs over £100,000 to put on, was voted the second best Pride in the UK in 2014. It runs for over a week across the city between 4-12 July, culminating in a massive free outdoor community music and performance festival on 11 July.

Pride uses the arts to champion equality and tackle issues affecting the community whilst developing a platform to support LGBT and local talent. While they brought over 30,000 people to its events last year, providing a much needed boost of almost a million pounds to the local economy in 2013, they were unsuccessful at being awarded Key Arts Provider funding from the city council, which would have helped secure the event for the next three years.

Rewards include Pride Festival supporter wristbands including a gold pass to all the events across the week, festival tickets donated by Love Saves The Day, Green Gathering and Sunrise Festival, tickets to Bristol Zoo and special prints of the rainbow fireworks over Clifton Suspension Bridge for the 150th anniversary. The crowdfunder also offers festival sponsorship and opportunities for small businesses keen to support Pride and equality in the city.

Organiser Daryn Carter said: ‘Pride is a vital and fantastic event for the city but we need support to be able to keep delivering the event. We’re one of the biggest Prides in the UK and crowdfunding is a chance to support us to deliver both the festival and the week of events around it.

‘People’s support also enables us to continue the work we do throughout the year to tackle discrimination, such as visits to schools and universities, raising awareness, combating hate crime and events to support the most marginalised within the community.’