Planning for Pride

• Find out when registration for the Pride event opens, what information you need to register, and where you need to register. Once registration has opened, register for the event!
• Find out if there is a cost involved and think about funding. You might want to see if your local District or County has grants or funding to support the event.
• To find out about and book resources from UK Headquarters, visit Attending Pride
• Start recruiting members to form a planning team (depending on the potential size of the pride event). We recommend that the team should have a lead contact/organiser, someone responsible for communications and PR, and someone responsible for arrangements for any young people to attend. You will also need some volunteers on the day to help run the stand and/or organise people in the parade.
• Plan monthly meetings/calls, set an agenda, take meeting minutes and record actions. Re-visit these at the start of each meeting.

• Find out what recruitment resources are available through your District/County or Local Growth Officer. i.e. leaflets, banners, resources, support in your event.
• Think if there is anything you’d like to order from the Brand Centre to support the event.
• Meet your pride project team and make decisions about how the event is going to run.
• Decide what the budget is for the event.
• It's important to have a booking/registration process for people attending the event.
  Most Districts and Counties use some form of events management software to manage their local events. Check with your District/County to see if you can create an event managed within their system.  If you need any further advice on this, please contact the National Pride team.
• Decide if you will have: a float (vehicle) and how this will be used. Check with event organisers what requirements are for this. Be aware, there may also be a fee for having a float.
• If having a stall, decide how it will be used. Will you have games or activities, what resources are needed? Make sure everything is on brand, following the Scouts Brand guidelines.
• Make a list of and source the resources you will need for the event.
• Consider inviting members from the National Inclusion team, FLAGS, Growth and Communities Team, District/County/Regional Leadership Teams, and other support teams within Scouts.
• Decide what the plan is for the day, what is on the itinerary, and who oversees which aspect of the day; a morning meeting pre-event possibly including breakfast can be a good way to start the day, and find a central meeting point with good transport links/parking.
• Make a plan for the end of the day, packing things up and returning any borrowed resources, also meeting afterwards for food and/or drinks.
• Plan communications and links with local Districts & Counties to ensure the Scout presence at the event is published.
• Young people - find out what the rules are for the Pride event you're attending regarding young people’s presence. i.e. some require anyone under 16 to have a parent or guardian with them, most require parental permission for anyone under 18 to be there. Once you've found out what the rules are for your Pride event, assign a person to be responsible for any young people attending without parents/guardians on the day and ensure you have signed consent for all under 18’s attending.
• Begin to plan the risk assessment - ensuring safety, wellbeing and safeguarding of all attendees, following the Scouts risk assessment requirements.
• Find out if you can give things out on the parade route i.e. stickers/ leaflets/giveaways. Note: some local authorities charge a fee to do this or ban it because of littering.

• Contact the District/County Media teams for support with promoting Scouts attendance at the event. If it’s a large event, you could also invite Scout Radio to cover the event.
• Continue to use social media to promote your event. For maximum external impact, use the hashtag #ScoutPride and any event specific hashtags associated with the event.
• If the event you're attending is ticketed, there may be opportunities for early bird or discounted tickets, which are a good idea to promote as they often include cheaper tickets and can help to guarantee attendance.
• Find out if you need any resources from Scout Store and the Brand Centre.
• Keep in constant communication with your project team and offer any support to complete actions for future meetings.

• By this point you should have identified the Emergency Rendezvous Point (ERP). Where possible, it should be outside the main parade/event area and any major tourist areas, typically a park or open space that is within a reasonable distance (i.e. walkable) from the event. Towards hospitals and away from the main parade and event.
• Continue to meet with your project team and review plans, ensure that your event is on schedule (consider additional support if it is behind schedule).
• Use social media and other methods of communication to advertise attendance in the run-up to the event. For example:
  • Advertise the opportunity to attend through District/County newsletters or emails, meetings, District and County websites, and other Scout events.
  • Use a countdown system i.e. “50 days to go until Birmingham Pride” and publicise this in emails and on social media using photos from previous pride events and the #ScoutPride hashtag, to keep members engaged and excited about the event.
• Send a Consent Form to each young person registered (or their parents).
• Ensure there will be at least one Leader in Charge of all young people, and there are appropriate ratios.

• If you're using a float (vehicle) plan a time when you will decorate it. We'd advise doing this the day before Pride, and please make sure you follow the Scout and Scout Pride brand guidelines.
• Ensure that social media is posted at least 2-3 times a week at peak times (select your target audience, times and days carefully as this will affect how effective your social media and pick up for your event).
• Pre-event venue - Confirm meeting places/times are still booked and are expecting you. If offering catering, confirm numbers and pre-ordered food/drinks are organised. Don’t forget any accessibility requirements e.g. lifts/ramps available for anyone using wheelchair and dietary requirements are catered for.
• Remind everyone registered as a participant of the joining instructions. i.e. meeting points and times, local information on transport/parking. Also share this information with the National Pride team and anyone else you’ve invited.
• Attend all Health and Safety meetings between now and the event by the event organisers and cascade any information from the meeting to the project team and members.
• Ongoing, update the Risk Assessment with any additional information from the Health and Safety meetings.
• Complete risk assessments as required. Make sure you have produced an emergency procedure.

• Make final arrangements with the project team - send out comms reminding everyone of their tasks/responsibilities on the day (always have a backup plan e.g. heavy rain, or if a key volunteer is unwell and cannot attend).
• Send out communications to members attending; this should confirm plans and itinerary for the day, a reminder about complying with the Yellow Card and representing the Scouts; no drinking or smoking during the parade and to have fun, smile and interact. 
• Ensure those who have agreed to transport materials and resources are still able to.
• If having a stall/stand, make final preparations - consider a rota of who will run the stand, ensure this is fair and everyone takes a turn/gets breaks.
• Ensure you know the route/area and plans for the day. As the lead volunteer for the event it is important to know what is happening.
• Make sure that you have identified the key coordinators who will be at the event (there should be at least two) and that contact details have been obtained.
• If you are taking part in the parade, organise how you will get the group from the meeting point to the parade start position.
• Double-check the ERP you’ve identified is still valid and appropriate (before getting Emergency Cards produced for all participants).
• Ensure that both parents/guardians and the person allocated ‘Leader in Charge’ of young people (attending without parents or guardians), have all the details needed to follow the InTouch process.

• Make sure you have the Emergency cards ready and printed for each participant.

Details essential to include are:

• Telephone numbers for at least two of the event organising team (usually the Pride Coordinator and one other)
• Telephone number for the InTouch contact
• Location of the emergency rendezvous point (ERP), either by use of a mini-map or an appropriate app, e.g. “What3Words ///” – giving the 3 word location.
• Transport the resources you need to the pride site (If you can set up the day before).
• Post on social media and offer out contact numbers or email addresses for members to contact if they have any questions/problems.
• Have a ‘Plan B’ for any last-minute changes.
• Review the risk assessment for any last-minute changes. Update the team highlighting changes made.
• Perform a briefing for the InTouch contact and key coordinators including presentation of the emergency procedures.
• Give access to a secure shared folder location or securely email all details of participants (including any young people’s consent) to the InTouch contact.
• Print out your plans/itinerary/members list /make sure you know who is responsible for what?

• Arrive early, before the participants, and set up.
• If you're hosting a pre-event breakfast/meeting, make sure everything is set up and prepared.
• You and the project team should take the lead in welcoming all participants to your event.
• It's essential to perform a welcome brief, talking through the basics of the day, so everyone is aware of Health and Safety and Emergency Procedures for the event, the provision of Emergency cards, including the location of the ERP and contact telephone numbers.
• All participants should be made aware of the ‘Government Advice for Staying Safe’ and be prepared to follow this if needed during the event.
• Make sure the team works together to ensure all participants are comfortable and engaged in the group. Ensure no one is left on their own or feeling excluded.
• Respond quickly to any questions or unexpected issues on the day.
• Make sure everyone has the correct clothing, and you have all your flags, banners, costumes, etc.
• Remind everyone they are representing the Scouts, as set out in previous comms. Reiterate the need to follow the Yellow card rules and ensure young persons at the event are clear on who is responsible for them (the designated Leader in Charge).
• Move the group as one, safely to the starting/meeting point of the parade.
• If you have a banner, have a team of 4-6 people responsible for holding the banner.
• Others can hold placards, flags and wave/interact with the crowds, especially families and children (the best effects are when a walking group is having FUN, enjoying, interacting with each other and enjoying the parade - the cameras will pick up on this).
• Keep moving as a group - the most impactful ‘visuals’ are when the group is close together.
• Social Media - post photos/videos of the group on the parade route with hashtags #ScoutPride and any other relevant ones for your specific event.

• Depending on the size of the event and how long it is running, plan to have four to seven people on the stall team.
• Avoid overcrowding the stall with volunteers, use a rota so members can have breaks and go enjoy the rest of the event.
• Interact with visitors - particularly families and other Scout volunteers.
• Remember to record contact details for potential new members who show an interest in joining.
• Ensure those on the stall swap over the activities they are running so they do not become bored.

• Email the project team and anyone else who helped on the day thanking them for taking part.
• Place an evaluation online using something like SurveyMonkey or Google forms – share that with all participants.
• A few weeks after the event carry out an evaluation meeting - evaluate what went well, what should be changed ready for next year, review feedback from those who attended.
• Complete a pride evaluation form and feedback your findings to the National Pride team to support future Pride events and local Pride Coordinators.
• Send in any dates planned for next year to the National Pride team to help publicise the event.