FOI 1877 - Pride month information

This is an information request relating to Pride Month.    Please include the following information:

1.  Whether any events have been organised for Pride month. If so please provide the date, start and end time, and title/topic of the event

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has not organised any events of its own for Pride Month, but local crews plan to attend pride events in Northwich on 17 June, and Ellesmere Port, Warrington and Crewe Silver Pride on 24 June as part of their routine community engagement work. It is not possible to provide timings as this will depend on operational demands on the day.

2. Whether any LGBT themed merchandise has been purchased for Pride month. i.e. since the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year. If so please provide me with information on what has been purchased and the cost.

Crews will have a selection of small Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service-branded items such as wristbands and badges that promote the jobs section of our website. These will only be handed out in Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Warrington. They cost £750 and have been funded by fire authority members’ local discretionary budget for campaigns and community engagement.

3. Whether the organisation has sponsored any Pride events. If so which events and please provide details of the nature of the sponsorship (particularly the financial value)

The Service has so far sponsored Chester Pride in August, to the value of £500. Again, this cost has been met from local campaign budgets. In return for the sponsorship, fire and rescue service career opportunities will be promoted in the official pride programme, social media and around the festival site. This is in line with our statutory duty to recruit from diverse communities.