HC-One was delighted to be a sponsor of Darlington Pride, organised by Darlington Borough Council, to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community from Saturday, August 10 to Monday, August 12.
Colleagues from HC-One joined members of the local community to mark the three-day celebrations, with the main events taking place over the weekend. The main festivities included a vibrant all-inclusive Pride Festival on Saturday, August 10, with a Pride March through the Market Square on to High Row, Bondgate, Skinnergate and returning to the square via Blackwellgate.
There was also a variety of live music, tribute acts, theatrical performances and street theatre, food and drink traders, information stalls and activities plus much more. HC-One colleagues took part in the march to celebrate acceptance, inclusivity, equality and the work of LGBTQIA+ people. Colleagues painted their faces, had their hair braided with rainbow art and carried rainbow pride flags as banners to especially mark the occasion.
The Pride Weekend festivities also included a Pride Bike Ride on Sunday, August 11, at South Park which ran for the first time by Sustrans who hosted the bike ride. This was then followed by Pride in the Park which took place near the South Park band stand where a relaxed family friendly social event took place with craft activities, face painting and bubbles as well as a Pride Picnic. There was also acoustic music by Tracks Darlington.
James Tugendhat, HC-One’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“HC-One were delighted to be a sponsor of this year’s Darlington Pride once again. As one of Darlington’s biggest employers, it’s important to us as an organisation to support the LGBTQIA+ community and promote inclusivity and diversity, and support residents and colleagues to be their best and true selves.”
Tasneem Bhopalwala, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at HC-One, commented:
“HC-One was honoured to be a sponsor and celebrate Pride in Darlington for the third consecutive year, championing equality, embracing differences, respect and inclusivity for all. Our colleagues really enjoyed getting involved in the Darlington Pride celebrations this year including the Pride Festival.
“We need to seek beyond the obvious and push our boundaries further, challenge societal norms, and advocate for the wellbeing and success of all diverse groups including those from the Pride community.
“HC-One is constantly seeking ways to truly reflect, respect, and represent our communities and the world around us so we can contribute to make a positive impact and inspire each other to treat ourselves and others with kindness and live with dignity. We will continue to strive to create a world where every diverse individual can thrive and be celebrated.
“Our beliefs and values are at the core of everything we do. If we can envision the success that we want, we’ll inhabit the actions and behaviours to bring about that success.”