PROUD@WYCA: Pride 2023 - A round up and a round of applause!

Woah - what a whirlwind June was! Apparently, the warmest June on record and particularly dry at the beginning. Although there were few chances for rainbows, we plastered them across Wellington House in the run up to our first ever in-person Internal Pride Event.

We would love to thank everyone who helped, supported, donated and attended. The Event was attended by over 100 colleagues from across the organisation. Together we raised £275 for Mermaids UK - our chosen charity for this event.

During the day we delivered sessions on Allyship and talked through options for our newly acquired Training & Development budget. After a break and some more cake we discussed our experiences of Pride, shared information about the important history of Pride and held listening circles on our experiences attending pride and on "coming-out".

It was truly a joyous event and a great bar to set for future Pride celebrations. If you missed any of our content don't worry, here's a roundup:

• An invitation to join Prides across the region
• The Rainbow Plaque Trail celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture in Leeds
• Allyship Session
• Slide Deck from the Event (incl. Training & Development).

Pride doesn't stop here, although it is magnified around June and through the summer of events, it's important that allyship and pride are year-round. We should be consistently learning and relearning to actively support others and work with an intersectional approach.

Please share your feedback and any requests to get more involved in our Network or Ally Network with [email protected]

With love and pride

John and Miki

PROUD Network Co-Chairs