Funds needed for Queer Picnic

ORGANISERS behind Cardiff’s alternative pride event the Big Queer Picnic are trying to raise £4,000 to hold this year’s event since seeing its popularity explode since the pandemic. They have raised half this amount so far, enough to hire accessible portaloos for the first time.

The event was started in 2011 by Egyptian refugee Shrouk El Attar, who wanted to make an event that would be more accessible than Pride Cymru, organiser Frankie Thompson-Attwell, 38, said. The first one was attended by “20 people and an acoustic guitar” and by 2017 there were around 50. This year they are expecting 600-800 people for the picnic in Sophia Gardens.

The money raised will go towards the toilets, public liability insurance required by Cardiff council, a new gazebo and sound system, and high-vis jackets for volunteers. Any money left over will go towards next year’s event.

“The community has really dug deep,” said Mr Thompson-Attwell.

The group is also working towards becoming official so it can apply for funding in future. Accessibility is a core part of the Big Queer Picnic’s work. Four of the five core organisers are disabled and this year they have an accessibility panel to learn more about the community’s needs.

Mr Thompson-Attwell said: “Disabled people deserve equity and should be at the forefront of any discussion because inaccessibility is exclusion and we are not about exclusion at all.”

As well as accessible portaloos this year, organisers are looking at ways to have wheelchair-accessible pathways in future years.

The group is hosting a Big Queer Fundraiser with live music and a raffle at The Moon on Womanby Street on May 15. Tickets for the fundraiser are available on Eventbrite. The Big Queer Picnic will be held on June 22.

Donate at gofundme.com and search for Funding Big Queer Picnic 2024.