With Pride, in Birmingham

We had a brilliant time at Birmingham Pride this year and valued the opportunity it provided to show our solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities.  As always, the sun shone, and our Central Co-op colleague volunteers shone brightly too.

Birmingham Pride’s parade, one of the biggest in Europe, was enjoyed by over 75,000 people showing their support for inclusion and belonging. 

We marched side by side with representatives from numerous allies from across the region.  After the parade, we settled into the Pride village to share games to win prizes, as well as information about our inclusion policies and networks, Oxfam Pride products in support of LGBTQIA+ causes, and the many ways in which people could work with us and work for us.

Andy Peake, Chief Commercial Officer at Central Co-op, and Executive Sponsor of our LGBTQIA+ inclusion network, says "It's essential that everyone feels they belong, that we're united, and that every individual is valued, seen and heard.

We invite everyone to join Central Co-op in celebrating diversity and promoting inclusivity. By supporting our initiatives and participating in events like Birmingham Pride, we can make a significant impact and ensure that everyone feels safe, valued and free to be themselves.”

As we enter Pride month 2024, we’ll continue to support Pride events across our trading area as well as dress our stores to mark the occasion. Throughout the month we’ll also share inclusion content with our colleagues to encourage greater engagement and understanding.

Find us at any of these Pride events this summer.

·       8 June                 Peterborough

·       22 June               Corby

·       21 July                 Lichfield

·       21 July                 Chesterfield

·       3 August             Belper

·       3 August             Lowestoft

·       10 August          Ashby-de-la-Zouch

·       10 August          Stafford

Our new internal inclusion networks, including one focused on LGBTQIA+ communities, are up and running enabling us to keep learning and growing as a Society as we say loud and clear, “Everyone is welcome here.”