Porty Pride Complaints Procedure

Porty Pride Complaints Procedure




Porty Pride: Complaints Procedure

1. Our Commitment

Porty Pride is a volunteer-run, community-led event created by and for LGBT+ people of all backgrounds. We’re committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and joyful space where everyone feels respected, celebrated, and heard.

We take all complaints seriously – whether they relate to behaviour, accessibility, inclusion, safety, or anything else that affects your experience. This complaints procedure outlines how you can raise a concern and how we’ll respond.

2. Who Can Make a Complaint?

Anyone involved in or attending our Pride events – including volunteers, performers, stallholders, attendees, and local residents – can raise a complaint.

3. What You Can Complain About

You can raise concerns about (but not limited to):

  • Discrimination, harassment, or exclusion.

  • Inappropriate or unsafe behaviour.

  • Accessibility issues.

  • Breaches of our Code of Conduct.

  • Decisions made by the Organising Committee.

  • How a previous complaint was handled.

4. How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint:

  • In Person during the event: Speak to a member of the Organising Committee or speak to any volunteer at the Portobello Town Hall to be directed to a member of the Organising Committee.

  • By Email: Send details to portypride@gmail.com

Please provide as much detail as possible to help us understand and address the issue.

5. What Happens Next?

Once we receive your complaint:

  1. Acknowledgement: We’ll aim to acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.

  2. Review: A minimum of two committee members will review the complaint, ensuring no conflicts of interest.

  3. Response: We aim to respond within 15 working days with outcomes or next steps. For anonymous complaints, a response will be issued to the email address provided, if one is provided.

  4. Resolution: Where appropriate, we may:

    • Offer the ability to discuss your complaint in person with two members of the Organising Committee.

    • Issue a warning or remove someone from an event, or from future events.

    • Adjust our practices or processes.

    • Apologise and make changes for the future

In serious cases (e.g. threats, harassment, discrimination), we may involve external authorities or support services if we consider it to be appropriate.

6. Confidentiality

We handle complaints confidentially and respectfully. Your identity will only be shared with those who need to know to investigate or act, unless you give permission otherwise.

7. Safeguarding and Safety

If your concern involves immediate risk or safety (to yourself or others), please alert a committee member or event steward straight away. In emergencies, call 999.

8. Retaliation

We will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises a complaint in good faith. Any such behaviour may result in exclusion from our events or volunteer team.

9. Learning and Accountability

All complaints are logged (anonymously where requested by the complainer) and reviewed post-event to improve our future events. We’re always learning and welcome constructive feedback.

10. Contact Us

📧 Email: portypride@gmail.com
🌐 Website/Form: portypride.com/contact-us
📍 In Person: Portobello Town Hall, or by contacting any member of our Organising Committee


Approval: This policy has been approved by Porty Pride Organising Committee and is effective from May 19, 2025.