Pride WA held its Annual General Meeting on March 19 at the Loton Park Clubhouse. With close to 30 people attending, the 2011 annual report was delivered and a new committee was elected. Fairday was said to be the biggest event of 2011, followed the Annual Quiz and Auction, and the Annual Pride Parade.
The new committee for 2012 is formed by some new comers, as well as some previous committee members and all have expressed enthusiasm about the year to come. A number of committee members expressed a need, in the coming year, to work on building ties with other community groups and regional partners.
2012 is said to be packed full of events, and Pride is eager to develop and evolve as an organisation, with the recent creation of the role of Community Liaison Officer and an updated website that is continually developing. ‘The new generation is the future of Pride,’ said Paul Van Leishout Hunt, former 2011 Youth officer and re-elected 2012 committee member, ‘We really want to build bridges with people under 26 in the LGBTI+ community.’
The committee for 2012 will consist of; Alice Newport-Holden who takes on the newly created role of Chair alongside her previous role as Media Liaison and responsibilities in marketing and policy development. Dean Cahill continues as Event Coordinator and Joel Murphy will be responsible for membership, while Paul Van Lieshout Hunt takes on the role of Male Co-President and Community Liaison in addition to retaining the role of Youth Officer.
New committee members are Kingsley Norris who will look after grants, sponsorship and the organisation’s website, Norris will also be the Co-Director of the annual Pride Festival alongside Mathew Landers; better known to many community members as entertainer Val Nourished. Sonja Jovovic joins the team as Treasurer, Secretary and Co-Women’s Officer and Rebecca Hills will serve as the organisation’s Female Co-President and Co-Women’s Officer as well as looking after the organisation’s volunteers and serving as a community liaison.
Story and Image by Claire Alexander
