Tag: Save The Pride Bridge campaign

Leith bar wins national PubAid award

The Dreadnought, Leith, has won an influential award at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2024. 

Owner Roisin Therese was at the ceremony in the Houses of Commons to accept the award for being the best Community Regular Hero pub in Scotland. The award celebrates the work that the pub does to fundraise or support the community. 

The pub saw competition from over 1,000 entries nationwide for the prestigious pub industry awards, now in their fifth year. 

On winning the award, Roisin Therese said: “I am very pleased to accept this award in recognition of the work we have done through the Dreadnought and the Save The Pride Bridge campaign to promote queer visibility and representation.

“Despite the many challenges of running a pub during the last few years, we hope to continue to provide a community hub and to support local causes through our fundraising, food bank and winter clothes collection drives, and engagement with other local organisations. We will continue to provide a safe and inclusive space that celebrates the queer community.”

The pub won because it led the Save the Pride Bridge campaign to help protect a local landmark from being demolished.  The Pride Bridge is a community art project in a public space that is important to local residents. It is painted by a diverse group of locals and has become a renowned LGBTQ landmark, and the first of its kind in Edinburgh.

Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, added: “The annual event is always very special for us and all the pubs who made it through to the finals.

“It is wonderful to hear so many stories of Publicans who do so much for their local communities and it’s heart-warming that pubs raise so much money for local and national charities and their regular customers are so generous when the cost of living makes things tough for many people.

“All 1,000 nominations we received are worthy of a congratulations but a special mention needs to be for those who made it through to the finals. The standard or entry this year has been so high that it gave our expert judges some difficult decisions.”

PubAid, which organises the awards in association with Matthew Clark and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, refreshed the awards and created more categories to congratulate more community pubs throughout the UK. There were 33 finalists in total across five categories. 

Blue Ball in England won the Community Support Hero award for its region.

Community invited to help redesign Pride Bridge

The Leith community is being called upon to help design a replacement for the Lindsay Road Bridge, also known as Pride Bridge.

The local landmark was a popular walking, wheeling, and cycling route over Hawthornvale Path and in 2021 was painted in rainbow colours, leading to it being named locally as the ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Pride’ Bridge.

the bridge, which is at the end of its lifespan, was closed due to concerns around health and safety, sparking a local ‘Save the Pride Bridge’ campaign. Council officers have since made a successful application for Transport Scotland funding through Sustrans for the design of a replacement bridge deck, with £232,700 awarded.

Now a designer, Mott McDonald, has been appointed and, along with the Council, they’re looking to work with the local community to develop proposed designs. Two information sessions and an online consultation will help the team to better understand everyone’s needs and gather feedback on proposed designs.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The Pride Bridge has been such a well-loved landmark and thoroughfare for the local community, it’s only right that we involve them to develop a replacement.

“I was delighted last year when we secured funding to design a new bridge deck, which would once again provide a safe and convenient walking and cycling route between North Fort Street and Newhaven area.

“The strength of feeling amongst local people for this bridge, and its celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, has been inspiring. I’d like to thank those who campaigned to protect it.”

Kasper Schwartz, Grant Advisor for Sustrans, said: “We’re excited to see how designs for the new Pride Bridge come together over the next year, and are immensely grateful to the local community for their enthusiasm in seeing this vital active travel connection reinstated for North Edinburgh.

“The Pride Bridge is not only a key walking, wheeling and cycling link for communities surrounding the Hawthornvale Path, it is also as an iconic symbol of enduring support for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.”

Róisín Thérèse, who leads the Save the Pride Bridge campaign, said: “The Save The Pride Bridge campaign has worked closely with the Council and design team to communicate the wishes of the local residents in terms of preserving an accessible route, a community space, and an important LGBTQ+ landmark.

“We are excited to participate in the public consultations to reimagine this space and secure it as a valuable community asset for years to come.”

This process is expected to last a year and once it’s complete officers intend to apply to Transport Scotland for between 70 and 100% of the construction funding required to build the bridge.

The work will be delivered alongside the Leith Connections project which is making improvements to community spaces and providing better connections for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling through the streets of Leith.

Lindsay Road Bridge information sessions will take place at the following locations and times:

Thursday 7 March, 6pm – 8pm: Dreadnought Leith, 72 North Fort Street

Saturday 23 March, 11am – 1pm: The Heart of Newhaven Community, 4-6 Main Street

Take part in the online consultation, which will close on 4 April.

Saving Pride Bridge: Sustrans support gives hope to campaigners

Efforts to save Leith’s much-loved Lindsay Road Bridge (also known as Pride Bridge) have moved a step closer thanks to a funding award through Sustrans’ Places for Everyone programme.

The 1930’s bridge, originally built for vehicular traffic, was closed off to motor vehicles in 2008 and has since served as a key walking, wheeling, and cycling route over Hawthornvale Path. In 2021 community members painted the bridge in rainbow colours, leading to it being named locally as the ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Pride’ Bridge.

In December 2021 the bridge, which is at the end of its lifespan, was closed due to concerns around health and safety.

Council officers have since made a successful application for Transport Scotland funding through Sustrans for the design of a replacement bridge deck, with £232,700 awarded. A designer will now be appointed to progress the design, to be developed in consultation with stakeholders and the community.

This process is expected to last a year and, once it’s complete, officers intend to apply to Sustrans for 70% of the construction funding required to build the bridge.

The work will be delivered alongside the Leith Connections project which is making improvements to community spaces and providing better connections for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling through the streets of Leith.

The Leith Connections project was awarded funding through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure programme backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: I’m delighted that this funding award gives new hope for the future of Pride Bridge.

“This structure is a local landmark, a link to Leith’s industrial past and a reminder of the pandemic, but above all else for me it is a celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. It also provides a safe and convenient walking and cycling route between North Fort Street and Newhaven area.

“Thanks to all those involved who have campaigned for its preservation.”

Kasper Schwartz from Sustrans said: “The Pride Bridge serves as a vital walking, wheeling, and cycling connection for the people of Newhaven.

“It not only provides a direct and accessible link to local shops, businesses, and public transport in the area, but also stands as a vibrant symbol of community resilience.

“We’re excited to be able to support the design and development of a new bridge deck, and in due course, see this important link reinstated.”

Róisín Thérèse from the Save the Pride Bridge campaign said: “We are delighted to hear that Sustrans has agreed to fund a full design with community consultation.

“We believe the Pride Bridge to be a very important piece of local history and heritage, an essential safe and accessible active travel route, and a much loved community space.

“We also believe that, especially in light of rising hate crime statistics, it is really important for us to show both our solidarity with the LGBTQ community and our commitment to their safety and inclusion.

“The Save The Pride Bridge group is looking forward to working closely with the council to find a suitable solution to restore this important local landmark.” 

Members of the Transport and Environment Committee will receive an update on the funding award on Thursday (12 October). Watch committee live via webcast from 10am.