Manchester’s LGBT Foundation will be distributing at least 5,000 safer sex packs during Manchester Pride after the local community rallied together for a ‘condom packing’ party.
Last month, Manchester Pride announced it was ‘no longer be in a position’ to support the LGBT Foundation’s safer sex scheme which distributes condoms to residents across Greater Manchester.
To ensure the scheme is able to effectively run across Pride, the local LGBTQ+ community has joined forces to create an extra 5,000 packs to be distributed over the four-day weekend.
Read more: The new club night taking place this Pride that puts LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people first
On Tuesday (August 24), staff and volunteers from LGBT Foundation, alongside local business owners, friends and allies met at the Eagle Bar to prepare the extra packs.
LGBT Foundation's condom and lube distribution scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the world and led a pioneering approach to sexual health at the height of the HIV epidemic
Since launching in 1994, more than 31 million safer sex packs have been distributed across Greater Manchester.
Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive of LGBT Foundation said: “Over the last few weeks we’ve seen people from across the community and beyond come together to voice the vital need and demand for free, accessible Safer Sex packs for all LGBTQ+ people.
“The Condom Packing party was an event that brought people together, donating their time to ensure that LGBTQ+ people living in and visiting Manchester this bank holiday weekend have the safest possible time.
“We saw the generosity of people attending our Condom Packing party and I know people will continue this support whilst celebrating this weekend and long after Pride has passed.”
The packing party followed a recent fundraiser by Gay Village venues to ensure the scheme receives the funding to keep on running in the future.
Manchester Pride kicks off today and will run until Monday (August 31).
The event will see the gay village host the ultimate street party, while artists such as Yungblud, Gabrielle and Zara Larsson will perform at MCR Pride Live at Homeground.
Sign up to the M.E.N's newsletters, including the LGBTQ+ Bulletin, here.
