Sylvia McCann is one of the unsung heroes of Leeds. She is a woman who goes above and beyond any job description and ensures that the people of our great city enjoy it to its full potential.

Originally from Jarrow in the north-east of England, Sylvia made Leeds her home when she came to study at university. When enquiring as to what she came to study Sylvia laughed in mortification and said that she was far too embarrassed to disclose that to anyone!

In 1997 Sylvia McCann began to work for Leeds City Council and since then the city has taken off in ways that could only have been dreamt of. Sylvia and her team of ten, who she has the highest amount of praise and respect for, help organise events such as Opera in the Park, Party in the Park, Leeds fest and of course Leeds Pride.

Sylvia said that when Leeds Pride began 5 years ago, it was long over-due as a city of such vibrancy and diversity really needed the event and she was and continues to be delighted by, what she states as, one of her favourite events in the city.

 
Leeds Pride costs the council approximately £30,000 every year. Though this is not direct cash, the sheer organisation, time, staff and equipment used equates to this massive sum.

The reason why Sylvia thinks that this is such a successful event is that it has grown throughout the years by taking small steps and building solid foundations and therefore, by doing this, ensursed its continued ability to handle the growth.

In terms of growth, Leeds Pride is expected to receive 23,000 people this year and with more and more people flocking to Pride in massive numbers, Sylvia was asked if the sheer amount of people and the amount that congregate on Lower Briggate after the parade was becoming problematic. In response Sylvia stated that there is definitely plenty of space in the lower part of town and there are no problems with such a large group of people continuing their Pride day there. Sylvia did point out that it is the Pride committee who choose locations and parade routes and it is her job to assist them with the organisation of that.

Sylvia is a strong and intelligent woman and obviously incredibly competent and passionate about what she does. When asking Sylvia why some of the people that she deals with have said that they are slightly afraid of her, she replied that if a man was doing her job then he would just be known as assertive but when a woman is in the same position, it is still perceived as bossiness as opposed to assertiveness. Sylvia said that she is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of person and states that she certainly does not suffer fools, some people like that and some don’t but that is how she is.

The aspect of her job that Sylvia takes huge pleasure in is watching people enjoy themselves. Recently, at Party in the Park, Sylvia felt a real thrill in knowing that she had helped 70,000 people enjoy themselves and have an amazing day out. She also takes great delight that the Leeds Fest really helps to put Leeds on the map and would love to see more promoters and up and coming bands use the space at Millennium Square and continue to help home grown talent.

The love and passion which Sylvia talks of her adopted city is incredible. She is incredibly proud of her fantastic team who she says, make her job so much easier and she is also incredibly proud of Leeds.

 
Sylvia McCann is an amazing ambassador to our city, and another reason to feel proud on 1st August.

Gayleeds.com would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Sylvia McCann for finding the time in her impossibly busy schedule to do an interview with us. Also, we would like to thank her for her continued dedication and her amazing contribution to Leeds.