The petition was started after the cancellation of the 2025 Pride event and march
The foundation which runs Liverpool Pride say they “understand the anger and frustration” after a petition called for the organisation to be shut down. Yesterday, it was announced that Liverpool’s Pride event and march had been cancelled for 2025.
It was due to take place on Saturday, July 26. LCR Pride Foundation, the organisation behind Pride in Liverpool and the city’s annual March with Pride, said it would not take place, because of “significant financial and organisational challenges”.
Yesterday, a petition was started by a person called Minnie Cooper, who said they were “deeply saddened” by the foundation’s continued failures. This included the cancellation of the event, as well as a lack of communication and a poor relationship between the organisation and LGBTQIA+ venues.
They called for the LCR Pride Foundation to be disbanded and replaced with a new organisation that “genuinely represents and supports our community’s interests.” At the time of writing, the petition has received 257 signatures.
In a response sent to the ECHO, the board has said it has reached out the petition starter and acknowledged “historical communication issues”. The board has also pledged to work on ways to support grassroot Pride events this summer.
The foundation has disputed the claim that the event was solely cancelled due to ending ties with Barclays. It has referred to its original statement where it said the decision “had a substantial impact at an already challenging time”.
The full statement on the petition said: “As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am deeply saddened and frustrated by the continued failures of the LCR Pride Foundation, which have greatly affected the pride celebrations in our vibrant city of Liverpool.
“Pride is supposed to be a time for celebration, unity, and visibility, yet recent years have shown a disturbing trend of mismanagement and inability to effectively fundraise for these vital events. There is also a concern at the lack of a functioning relationship between LGBTQ+ venues and Pride itself.
“Liverpool, known around the world for its rich culture, music, and passionate people, deserves a pride event that reflects our city’s spirit. The cancellation of the 2025 pride event was due to severing ties with Barclays but there is no structure of funds management to support this or our community in Barclays’ absence.
“What’s worse is the persistent lack of clear communication and accountability regarding these decisions. To uphold the true essence of pride, it is imperative that we have an organisation at the helm capable of ensuring the sustainability and success of these events.
“Pride is more than a festival; it is a crucial space for our community to come together, share experiences, and be visible. The consistent mishandling of funds and events diminishes this purpose and impacts the morale and safety of the LGBTQ+ community in Liverpool.
“I propose that the LCR Pride Foundation be disbanded due to its insufficient handling of responsibilities. In its place, a new, transparent, and community-driven organization should be established.
“This new entity should commit to proper financial management and active engagement with community stakeholders to ensure our pride events are planned and executed effectively. Liverpool’s LGBTQ community is resilient and deserves the opportunity to celebrate our diversity and achievements through well-organized Pride events.
“Let’s work towards a future where these celebrations are not hindered by past mismanagement. Sign this petition to demand the disbandment or full restructure of the LCR Pride Foundation and the establishment of a new organisation that genuinely represents and supports our community’s interests.”
In response to the petition’s claims, the LCR Pride Foundation board said: “The board completely understands the anger and frustration felt by the organiser and signatories of the petition. We are also aware of historical communication issues, which we are working to address.
“As such we have reached out to the petition organiser to arrange a conversation around the concerns raised. The current leadership of LCR Pride Foundation is committed to ensuring that our events return stronger and more community-led in 2026, and that they are sustainable for the years beyond that.
“While our events have been cancelled this year, Pride itself has not – this lives in the fabric of our city and its LGBTQ+ community. We are working with partners and peer organisations to explore other ways of bringing the community together, and how we can best support other grassroots Pride events taking place this summer.”
Explaining the decision yesterday, the board said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of this year’s Pride in Liverpool and March with Pride. In recent months the charity has faced significant financial and organisational challenges, which have impacted timescales and resulted in it reverting to an almost entirely volunteer-led operation.
“This, combined with rising costs and difficulty securing national and local funding, has made it impossible to bring Pride in Liverpool to the city this year. Having listened to our community, we also recently took the decision to sever our relationship with Barclays, which created further delays to planning.
“While we are confident that this was the right decision, it is one that has had a substantial impact at an already challenging time. Our small team had been working closely with key partners and some fantastic city-based sponsors right up until the end of May to try to ensure the march went ahead, but despite all best efforts we were unable to make it feasible.
“We are devastated that we will not be able to march together this year, at a time when coming together to stand in solidarity, protest and celebration is needed more than ever, and we understand how difficult this will be for our community. However, we strongly believe that it is the right decision to ensure both the continuation of the organisation and to enable the return of Pride in Liverpool and our march in 2026.
“On that front, discussions with Liverpool City Council and a number of city-based sponsors are already underway.”
