Silver Rainbow Pride, the annual celebration of LGBTQ+ life and culture, has kicked off the Crewe Pride 2024 season as the colourful gala dedicated to the over 55s made a welcome return to the town over the weekend.
Hosted by not-for-profit dementia specialist, Belong, in partnership with sexual health charity, Body Positive Cheshire & North Wales and its social network, Silver Rainbows, guests of all ages were invited to the Brookhouse Drive care village to revel in the festivities with live entertainment from Music in Mind, sing-along with Dame Dolly, and a fashion catwalk parade competition.
Joining the event, Crewe Town Mayor, Cllr Dawn Clark, along with representatives from Crewe Police Cheshire Constabulary, and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service brought the community together for face painting, tombola and stalls, sweet treats and a barbecue.
The yearly celebration began in 2018, with this year’s event coming at the close of Pride Month, celebrated around the world every June in recognition of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The demonstration is widely considered to be the defining event marking the beginning of the gay rights movement in the US and around the world, with Silver Rainbow Pride being scheduled almost 55 years of the event.
Jessica Butler, experience coordinator at Belong Crewe, said: “We’re thrilled that Silver Rainbow Pride has now become a regular staple in the Crewe calendar as it’s important to us that everyone can be themselves and express who they are. Many of the older community have memories of living in a society when it was illegal for them to love their partners, as well as the events at Stonewall, and our day is designed to say that no matter age or who you love, they have the support of Crewe.”
Cllr Dawn Clark, Mayor of Crewe, added: “Such an honour as Mayor of Crewe to open this special event. Well done to Jess and her team at Belong, supported by Body Positive.”
Belong’s pride initiative won the Volunteer Award at Cheshire Pride Awards 2023 for the work supporting the local, older LGBT+ community. Across the Belong group of care village and home care services in the North West and West Midlands, the not-for-profit organisation has implemented the Skills for Care LGBTQ+ learning framework for its teams, equipping them with the knowledge, values and best practice to support its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and other customers, whose needs can differ from others.
