Crewe Mayor Brian Roberts was amongst special guests, members of the public and heads of local community organisations who attended Crewe’s first ever Silver Pride event recently – a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture, especially for older people. The event was organised and hosted by local state-of-the-art care village Belong Crewe.
A full afternoon of LGBT-themed activity included musical performances, fancy dress competitions and open mic acts. Among those performing was popular North West singer-songwriter, Claire Mooney, best known for her songs championing women’s rights and equality.
In addition to live entertainment, there were areas for people to reminisce about life in Crewe through the years, prompted by displays of artefacts charting the campaign for LGBT rights and the history of the movement in Crewe. People could also learn about the physical and emotional support available in the area for members of the LGBT community.
Belong’s Silver Pride event was supported by community organisations including Silver Rainbows, Cheshire East Council, Body Positive, and Connected Communities: the multi-million pound research programme examining the role of communities in promoting diversity and enhancing quality of life in the UK. The Crewe police and fire services also attended, with the police arriving in their ‘Pride car’, in suitable rainbow livery.
Belong Crewe’s experience coordinator, Natalie Ravenscroft, a driving force behind the event, commented: “The event was about fun and entertainment as well as showcasing the care options open to older members of the LGBT community and creating a ‘safe space’ where people would feel comfortable expressing who they are.
“I’m pleased to say the event was a huge success. It was absolutely spectacular. The village was festooned with decorations and packed full of residents and visitors having a great time and celebrating diversity.
“As a result, we’re already thinking about next year’s Silver Pride event at Belong Crewe, and there are also plans to organise similar events at other Belong villages.
“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to making the event so successful, including staff at Belong, representatives of local organisations who attended and, of course, members of the public who came along.”
In August, a cohort of staff and residents from across Belong’s villages in the North West and Staffordshire will attend Manchester Pride.
