CHPride: Celebrate Pride month with us
CHP is excited to be a gold sponsor at Essex Pride on Saturday 22 June, in collaboration with Eastlight Community Homes. Working together under the BuildEast umbrella, which is a group of 15 housing associations, both organisations will be marching to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality and campaign for the rights of all communities.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Essex Pride, and CHP and Eastlight will lead the march. Starting at Springfield Road and taking the march through Chelmsford City Centre before stopping at Central Park, where the festival is being held.
At the festival, we’ll be hosting a stall with games and activities, sharing information about the housing support we can provide, sharing how customers can help shape the future of CHP, and providing information on CHP careers and jobs too.
CHP Chief Executive, Paul Edwards, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Essex Pride this year, alongside Eastlight and representing BuildEast. We recognise the challenges members of our LGBTQ+ communities face and are committed to tackling inequality and challenging discrimination across Essex. We look forward to talking to customers and the wider community, learning from their experiences, and celebrating this special event.”
Eastlight’s Chief Executive and the Chair of BuildEast, Emma Palmer, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Essex Pride through a gold-level sponsorship this year. Thanks to Eastlight’s joint efforts with CHP, BuildEast hopes to empower and support LGBT+ communities across the East, by delivering inclusive homes and services in which our residents increasingly feel safe, secure and free to be themselves.”
Essex Pride Chair, Garry Ormes, added: “All the team at Essex Pride are very proud to be partnering with BuildEast for the 20th anniversary LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone from the whole community, alongside the BuildEast team, to celebrate diversity, reflect on how far we have come, and invite everyone to join together as one, regardless of who you love. The Essex Pride City Centre March will return, alongside the Pride festival in Central Park, Chelmsford, which promises to be the most diverse pride celebrations yet.”
You can also get involved in helping to shape CHP’s services by registering your interest to be part of one of three customer groups which are part of our new Community Voices structure. Through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group, customers will work together to make sure the needs and preference of customers are understood and that our services are accessible to all.