A MESSAGE FROM CEO ALBERT KRUGER

Throughout 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to test our country, sending many of us into lockdowns and long periods of isolation.

There is no doubt this has put incredible strain on our community and limited our opportunities to connect and celebrate, as we normally would.

Despite the pandemic, we continued to deliver on our “always on” vision, finding ways to elevate the LGBTQI+ community and connect in new ways. Safe to say, it’s been a big year of firsts for us!

The crowning achievement was delivering the 2021 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Parade and Festival with the season theme of RISE. More than 33,000 people were able to come together and celebrate in a COVID-safe environment at the Sydney Cricket Ground. While we missed our home on Oxford Street, we are grateful we were able to deliver the Parade at a time where most of the world was in a strict lockdown. While it looked a little different than usual, we received great feedback on the Parade and I’d like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our team, volunteers, performers, community organisations, everyone who marched and everyone that made the event the spectacle that it was.

Beyond the festival, we also delivered on several other firsts – new events, new partnerships, new plans, new operating frameworks and even a new office. Importantly, we have also ended the financial year with an operating surplus, which puts us in a strong position to deliver more for the community in the year ahead.

For the financial year ended 30 June 2021, the organisation has delivered a net operating surplus of $92,876. When adjusting for the community grants and other support measures of $242,050 provided to our members and broader community, the orgnisation delivered an underlying operating surplus of $334,926.

I invite you to read more in our 2021 Annual Report, available below.