Trustmarque sponsors York Pride 2023
York, UK – 15 May 2023: We are delighted to announce that the Trustmarque Group is sponsoring the annual York Pride parade and festival, taking place on Saturday 03 June.
This year, we are embracing the York LGBTQIA+ community and Trustmarque employees will be walking the parade route with family and friends. As an organisation headquartered in York, and founded in 1987, this is a historic milestone in our 40-year history.
Donavan Hutchinson, Trustmarque Group Chief Revenue Officer and Diversity Equality and Inclusion Lead, shared the news:
I am beyond thrilled that the Trustmarque Group is taking the progressive step to sponsor York Pride this year. Being part of the LGBTQIA + community, which continues to be discriminated against is the very reason why awareness around Pride and the origins of the movement are crucial. Rainbow capitalism and pink washing are just as harmful to the community and it’s important we continually support each other 365 days of the year.
York Pride gets off to a fabulous start with the parade march from York Minster, through the streets of York city centre to a festival site on the Knavesmire.
The annual event is operated by a small team of unpaid volunteers who are working hard to continue to improve Pride for the benefit of the LGBTQIA+ , allies and the wider community. They depend upon sponsorship, donations from events, local businesses and supporters and the money they raise through our fundraising activities.
Rosanna Williamson Trustmarque’s Head of Performance Development and Responsible Business, added:
This is an exciting step forward for the Trustmarque Group, with our Yorkshire roots, and our renewed focus on DEI and making us a great place to work. We are primed to make this year’s York Pride the best yet. We hope that through our efforts and our support of York Pride we show that hatred and prejudice have no place in our city.
As part of our sponsorship agreement, we will also enable York Pride to hire two British Sign Language approved signers for the first time. One will cover spoken content and the second person will interpret music and lyrics.
The Trustmarque Group’s sponsorship will also facilitate the accessibility area at York Pride, which includes seating and soft drinks for those who wish to enjoy the event but cannot or would prefer not to complete the route. The area contains seating, hoists, accessible toilets, and hearing aid loops making this the most inclusive accessibility space of all the UK Pride events.
Hear from Donavan Hutchinson about our support of York Pride 2023
Notes to editors
About York Pride 2023
York Pride is the biggest free one-day event in York. It provides a main platform for a celebration of the diversity of the LGBT+ community with entertainment, inclusivity and fun. The event is a focus for the visibility of the LGBT+ community in York and provides an opportunity to draw attention to important LGBT+ issues.
The Parade assembles in Duncombe Place, outside York Minster, at 11.30am ready to start at 12 noon.
It makes its way through the streets York city centre and along Bishopthorpe Road to the Festival site on the Knavesmire, arriving between 1pm and 1.30pm.
Anyone can join – fellow members of the community, allies, friends and family can come and take part in the Parade.
Written by Julia Bluckert, Corporate Communications Lead
