Hundreds of lesbian and gay people and their friends are set to join Stonewall for the charity's 5th annual Equality Walk in Brighton on bank holiday Sunday 4 May.

Walkers will be joined by this year's celebrity supporters Sue Perkins, Amy Lamé and Dicky and Dolly (ex - Big Brother stars Richard and Lea, now hosts of Gaydar Radio). This year's event is once again sponsored by American Express. All money raised will go towards Stonewall's campaign to esnure anti-gay hate crimes are reported with more confidence, and eventually stamped-out altogether.

The 10k walk begins from the Pavilion Gardens at 2pm and will follow a route set by BLAGGS, the Brighton-based lesbian and gay sports group, ending in a prize-giving party hosted by Legends.

Registration this year is only £10, for which participants will receive a Stonewall Equality Walk t-shirt and goodies on the day. All that those taking part need to do is raise over and above the registration fee and there will be some great prizes for the top fundraising teams and individuals.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: 'The Brighton Equality Walk is one of the highlights of our year. Not only is it great fun on the day, but it also helps raise invaluable funds for our vital work around hate crime. Last year we raised over £40,000 for our campaign to introduce legislation criminalising incitement on the grounds of sexual orientation.

'Homophobic hate crime is still a sad reality in today's society. Too many people are still afraid to report it. We'll continue to work to raise awareness around the issue and hope all lesbians and gay men, their friends and families who also want to show their support will join us in Brighton on Bank Holiday Sunday.'

To register now, visit www.equalitywalk.org.uk or contact the equality team on 020 7593 1874. Once registered, please keep logging on to the website for regular news updates about the Brighton Walk.