Latest news with #BirminghamPride
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Birmingham Pride to return to city's Gay Village in May next year
Birmingham Pride has confirmed it is to return to its original location in the city's Gay Village in May next year following a search for a new ticketed festival has been held in Smithfield for the past few years, but can no longer use the site because it is being Lawrence Barton said the move offered an opportunity to "realign" the festival with "core values" of "protest, inclusion and grassroots celebration"."Our return to the Gay Village symbolises more than just a change of location, it represents a renewed commitment to the communities that built this event from the ground up." Organisers also said the event was searching for new partners after deciding to "transition away" from sponsor HSBC."We are grateful to HSBC UK for their support over the last seven years," Mr Barton said. "This partnership has had a meaningful and lasting impact on LGBTQ+ communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands." Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council has confirmed a major change to the Smithfield project, amid financial "pressures".The scheme is set to transform the former wholesale market site into homes, retail and leisure space and a new market an outline business case document revealed changes to the proposed cultural offer, with the Art Shed building and Round House music venue to be incorporated into a single building rather than two separate structures as originally council said it was to reduce the need for funding, as requested by government-appointed commissioners sent in to oversee the authority's financial recovery after it effectively went document stated commissioners did not support a funding ask of £209m linked to the proposal's enterprise zone, and it had now been reduced to £ council also confirmed Smithfield's leisure offer was set to change and would no longer offer a "big-box style" leisure complex, including an urban adventure playground and digital immersive experience."The leisure offer will now consist of two smaller leisure provisions," the outline business case continued. Additional reporting gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Birmingham Pride celebrations to return to Gay Village in 2026
Birmingham Pride celebrations will return to the heart of the Gay Village in 2026. The festival has been held at the Smithfield site for the past four years but that area is now undergoing redevelopment. Work will begin later this year to develop the 17-hectare site into 3,000 homes, restaurants and event space, costing £1.9 billion pounds. The plans mean that Pride needs to move from the site to a new home - and there was uncertainty around where that might be. It is hoped that bringing the festival back to the Gay Village will result in a more community-focused event. "Our departure from the Smithfield site provides the ideal opportunity to reshape Birmingham Pride and consider wider community feedback", organisers said in a statement. "This change reflects a wider commitment to realign Pride with its founding values of protest, inclusion, and grassroots celebration". The team also said, as part of the change, it wanted to "evolve its approach to sponsorship". The statement said: "With HSBC UK's title sponsorship concluding this year, we thank them for their support over the past decade. The partnership benefited local LGBTQ+ charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations across our region, enabling them to secure funding to deliver services and undertake important work in the community. "We warmly welcome interest from other organisations that share our values and wish to play a meaningful role in the next chapter of Birmingham Pride and the Pride movement." Lawrence Barton, Festival Director, said: "This is a pivotal moment for Birmingham Pride. As the Pride movement continues to evolve, we believe it is the right time to realign our festival with its core values, protest, inclusion, andgrassroots celebration. "Our return to the Gay Village symbolises more than just a change of location, it represents a renewed commitment to the communities that built this event from the ground up." "We are grateful to HSBC UK for their support over the last seven years. Their partnership has had a meaningful and lasting impact on LGBTQ+ communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands." Birmingham Pride will take place in May 2026.
Metro
11-06-2025
- General
- Metro
'Eyesore' home swallowed by trees for 40 years finally cleared
Residents are breathing a sigh of relief after a house with 40 years' worth of overgrowth has finally been cleared. The 'eyesore' end-terraced property was covered in a blanket of foliage after trees, weeds, and ivy overtook it in King's Norton, Birmingham. The previous owner neglected to cut back the plants, which soon grew out of control. The home, in King's Norton, Birmingham, was rendered virtually invisible after its 'nature-loving' owner neglected to cut back the plants, which then grew out of control for decades. Last year, the three-bedroom property on Walkers Heath Road was sold at auction for £150,000 after the previous homeowner, aged in her 90s, went to live in a care home. Startling before and after pictures show how it's now been turned into two neat rental flats following a monumental gardening job to remove the huge mass of greenery. Neighbour Vivienne Attwood, who previously described it as like living 'next to West Midlands Safari Park', said: 'It looks a hell of a lot better, that's for sure. The new landlord came in, and then with the help of a couple of friends, they were able to clear it all up in a couple of months. 'They had to put a new roof on as the ivy had grown through and sort the rendering out. It was some gardening job, but they did it quite quickly really, I was surprised.' Photographs taken last year showed the front garden overrun with plants and only the front door and a satellite dish visible. Now, only a single tree remains in the front garden after its new owner completed the mammoth clear-up operation. Mum-of-four Vivienne, who works as a doctor's receptionist, said previously: 'My husband trims it back whenever it encroaches, and luckily we've stopped it getting into our roof. 'It's good for wildlife but not for my guttering and roof. We moved in 40 years ago and it was just allowed to grow and grow from there. But she used to have somebody in to trim it back until about 10-15 years ago when it was left completely untouched.' More Trending Vivienne said people used to stop daily as they 'couldn't quite believe it'. Another local, who did not wish to be named, added: 'It became somewhat of a local landmark – you had to see it to believe it. 'But it wasn't nice for the direct neighbours, so everyone is pleased it has been tidied up now. 'I'm all for letting nature flourish, especially in urban areas, but that was definitely too much. You couldn't even tell a house was there.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Bull on the loose charging down streets in Small Heath, Birmingham MORE: Boy, three, starved to death by parents 'became invisible to child services' MORE: Peter Tatchell 'laughed at by police before being removed' from Birmingham Pride
Metro
06-06-2025
- Metro
Bull on the loose charging down streets in UK city
A bull is on the loose in a Birmingham suburb. Passersby filmed the black bull trotting past the Golden Suite hotel in Small Heath today. Where the animal came from is unclear, with footage showing it charging across the road as cars drove by. @johncooper68 bull loose in small heath ♬ original sound – John Cooper Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Boy, three, starved to death by parents 'became invisible to child services' MORE: Peter Tatchell 'laughed at by police before being removed' from Birmingham Pride MORE: Man says cafe staff refused to serve him because of his face tumours
Metro
29-05-2025
- Metro
Peter Tatchell 'laughed at by police before being removed' from Birmingham Pride
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A veteran LGBTQ+ rights campaigner has claimed he was 'forcibly removed' from Birmingham Pride after police 'laughed' at him. Peter Tatchell, 73, said an officer ordered him to leave the Pride parade, claiming event organisers had requested his removal. Pride organisers have denied this, stressing to Metro that they permitted Tatchell to march. Tatchell gave a speech at the start of the parade in the West Midlands city on Saturday morning where he spoke about the arrests of gay and bisexual men before homosexuality was decriminalised in 2004. He was using a loudhailer and holding a sign reading: 'West Midlands police refuse to apologise for anti-LGBT+ witch-hunts. SHAME! #ApologiseNow' during the march. About an hour later, he set off on the march. The campaigner said he and five others from the Peter Tatchell Foundation were walking down New Street when they saw several police officers approach them. The activist said a senior officer told him to leave, saying he did not have a permit. He added he was then 'frog marched' out of the parade. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! Speaking to Metro, Tatchell said: 'The police response was to crowd around me, blowing whistles, so my message could not be heard. 'What was particularly upsetting was when I told the story of how two men attempted suicide because of police prosecution. The officers laughed in my face.' Tatchell said: 'I showed him my wristband and said, 'Here's proof I have permission, plus, I am a guest, so they would never instruct me to leave'. 'I asked the officer what the name of the Pride organiser who instructed you to remove me was. No answer.' Photographs and video taken at the parade show officers leading Tatchell out of the parade, holding him by the arms and forcing him forward. He was not arrested. Tatchell said: 'The officers dumped me on the pavement. I got the very strong impression that, if I had further resisted, I would have been arrested. 'It's sadly typical of the way in which the police across Britain are increasingly clamping down on freedom of expression and the right to protest. 'I'm just astonished that the police would dare abuse their power to fabricate allegations and to stop me making a lawful criticism.' Birmingham Pride CEO Lawrence Barton said 'categorically' that organisers allowed Tatchell to march. Barton told Metro: 'Peter was an invited guest speaker to Pride, he was asked by me to speak at the Big Free Community event and at Centenary Square to officially launch Pride. 'His foundation was officially booked through our official process. Peter's call for an apology from [West Midlands Police] is a position I support.' Before being gay was fully decriminalised, UK police forces routinely raided nightclubs, bars and saunas, particularly in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Officers held stakeouts in parks and public toilets to arrest queer people for 'gross indecency', while some were convicted for public displays of affection under public order and breach of the peace laws. West Midlands Police has not formally apologised for the decades-old arrests, unlike other forces such as the Met Police. Chief Constable Craig Guildford declined to do so in 2023 when asked by Tatchell, saying the police were responsible for enforcing laws which would be viewed 'very differently today'. Tatchell said: 'There were probably 50 officers marching in the parade. Not a single one at any point expressed sorrow or regret about the way in which the LGBTQ+ community had been ill-treated in the past.' Marching alongside Tatchell was Matthew Lloyd, a member of the inclusive faith group Queer Church Birmingham. The former national co-chair of LGBT+ Labour told Metro that calling on the West Midlands Police to apologise is a 'long-standing demand in our community'. He said: 'It's disgraceful that officers forcibly removed Peter from the parade – especially under the false claim that Pride organisers had asked for it. 'This heavy-handed policing reflects a deeper problem: a lack of understanding of Pride as a protest and a deafness to the police's own history when dealing with the queer community, our venues and our safe spaces.' More Trending The force told Metro: 'We assisted security staff at the event with the removal of a man who made his way amongst people who were taking part in the parade. He was not arrested.' Asked about allegations that officers 'laughed' at Tatchell, the police said: 'West Midlands Police have not received a complaint about this but we are open to listen to any which are formally made to us.' Ahead of the parade, the police said that officers will be 'out and about keeping you safe at Birmingham Pride'. Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby said: 'Our officers are there to support you, so please do speak to them if you have any concerns about safety – or feel free to just say hello.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Pillion review – I experienced one of the filthiest films I've ever seen at Cannes MORE: Plans to ban Pride events in Hungary criticised by 17 other countries MORE: 'Humanising trans people is so important right now – our BBC series does that'
