Pride March posts loss

Pride March posts loss

Pride March Victoria has posted a $23,019 loss for its 2012 event.

The deficit was announced at its annual general meeting last night. President Brett Hayhoe has also announced he has stepped down from the board after 12 years.

New Pride March Victoria president Shane Marquis said poor weather was to blame for the downturn, which drove away crowds from the event’s community village bar and food area in Catani Gardens, St Kilda.

“Unfortunately Pride March Victoria makes most of its operating money from bar sales on the day of Pride March,” Marquis told the Star Observer.

“This year we had a very inclement weather at exactly the wrong time … through forces beyond our control, we didn’t make the bar sales we would normally make and so unfortunately we’ve come up with a short loss.”

Marquis said he believes the organisation won’t be hit too hard with the loss.

“We have been fiscally responsible in the past, so we did actually have a small operating surplus in previous years that we’ve always carried over to the following year to make sure we did have some money in the bank for a rainy day.” Marquis said.

“Going forward at this point in time we are very minimally in the red, but we don’t see that as a barrier to the organisation moving forward.

“The organisation has in past years been in this position before, probably about six years ago we were facing similar challenges, but through careful fiscal management we should be able to trade our way quite happily to provide the organisation with the event that they know and love.”

Marquis said he didn’t believe the loss had prompted Hayhoe’s departure.

“Brett, for his own personal reasons, has decided that he would like to leave the board at this time,” Marquis said.

“Pride March Victoria is very, very grateful to him for the years of services he’s put in.”

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