We finally made it to Birmingham Pride 2021!
After months of waiting and rearranging, Birmingham was able to host one of the first Pride celebrations of the year. On September 25th, staff from Change Grow Live joined the festivities to promote equality and diversity. The theme of Birmingham Pride was Stronger Together. Joining Pride demonstrates our commitment to stand in unity with all members of the LGBTQ+ community fighting and campaigning against any form of Transphobia, Biphobia, Homophobia, and hate.
We had a stall in the Community area and a walking group in the parade. The public was energetic and cheered us on as we waved from the parade. They also enjoyed talking to our staff about the drug and alcohol support we offer. We gave out flyers, wristbands, and information about staying safe around different substances. We encouraged people to try our ‘beer goggles’ that show people what you see when you’re intoxicated. We spoke about staying safe on a night out and using our anti-spiking bottle stoppers.
With very few spaces to socialise within the community that are sober spaces, alcohol is often a feature of going out and meeting others. We wanted to make sure that people had a safe night out at pride and look after their friends by promoting our Help Your Mate campaign. We want to make sure we can support everyone with their drug and alcohol recovery and that the LGBTQ+ community know that we’re here, not just for service users but for staff too.” - Jack, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion lead for Birmingham
We were able to connect with around 300 people at the stall and hundreds more in the parade. Our hope is that those who need our support feel confident to access it. Change Grow Live is an inclusive and welcoming service for all. In Birmingham, we have an LGBTQ+ group for people who use our service. This runs on a Monday at 1 pm as part of our Throughcare offer.
