Southend Pride THOUSANDS of visitors will flock to Southend for Pride this year with the event set to be given the go ahead - albeit with a difference. The Pride parade on Southend High Street brings in swathes of crowds, and the annual event will take place on July 17, pending final approval from council chiefs. Due to Covid-19 and plans to spread the crowds across the town, the music festival in Warrior Square will not be going ahead. Instead, pubs, bars, and restaurants are being encouraged to sell Pride-themed cocktails and to hold events themselves throughout the Saturday afternoon and evening.
A number of Southend town centre shops lie empty after a challenging year battling the coronavirus pandemic. The retail sector and outdoor hospitality were finally allowed to reopen on April 12, but some stores appear to have remained closed for good. As a result of the numerous lockdowns, many businesses have had to rely on government grants and schemes to survive. With about 17 shops standing vacant in the high street, business bosses and Echo readers have banded together to come up with ways to breathe life back into the high street. These were units that are no longer trading and are either on the market or closed down with no news to report on - with the count beginning at the top of the high street near WHSmith down to the bottom near The Royal Hotel.
Sam Adams, the chair of Southend Pride, said: “It’s going to be a lot different because of Covid. There won’t be a festival at all. “Covid has had a huge impact on the LGBT community. The lockdowns have prevented people from being themselves. “Southend Pride allows you to do that. People want to be themselves. “It gives people confidence coming out of Covid. “It’s essential for the town, it brings everyone together. “It’s so empowering for everyone who comes along.” Seafront venues and businesses are being lined up to hold events for Pride. Maps and signs will appear across the high street and seafront, directing visitors to the different activities.