Birmingham nightclub doubles staff numbers to cater for Pride
A BIRMINGHAM nightclub has created a number of new jobs as it looks to cater for additional business during this weekend’s Birmingham Pride event.
The Nightingale Club said a core team of 40 staff at the Kent Street venue is being doubled to cope with anticipated demand over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
The venue’s owners have said it will consider offering a number of the Bank Holiday staff full-time positions as the club looks to grow business.
Footfall at the club has steadily increased since new owners took over when the business went into administration 18 months ago. The Pride event is always a popular occasion and attracts tens of thousands of people to the Southside area.
Birmingham businessman Lawrence Barton, whose family business GB Holdings Ltd runs five other venues in Southside, rescued the club from administration after it had been a mainstay in the city for more than 30 years.
New club nights catering for students, themed nights, the Big Brum Gay Night Out and live music acts have all helped pull more people into the iconic venue.
This year as well as sponsoring Pride’s main stage, which has a line-up including Paloma Faith, JLS, Bananarama and Stooshe, the club will also be hosting chart-topping number one singer-songwriter A*M*E, who was spotted by Gary Barlow and recently signed to Sony’s Epic Records, on Saturday May 25.
Previously the venue has attracted acts including The Saturdays, Brit and MOBO award winner Lemar, Lawson, Marcus Collins and Stacey Solomon, as well as impromptu appearances from celebrities visiting the city.
Mr Barton, who is Birmingham Pride’s director and sits on the board of Southside BID, said: “It is a well worn phrase but Birmingham Pride does get bigger and better each year. We are anticipating tens of thousands for the two-day event and we are taking on more staff to cope with increased demand.
“Year on year Pride has a considerable impact on Southside and the city’s economy, it creates jobs and brings in local, regional and international visitors which has got to be good for Birmingham.”
