This Saturday, 18th June, Councillor Nan Walton, Mayor of Crewe, will cut the rainbow ribbon and open the town’s fourth annual Silver Pride, the celebration of LGBT+ life and culture, especially for the over 55s.

Hosted by Belong, the leading dementia specialist’s Brookhouse Drive care village will open its doors and gardens to welcome the community for a colourful afternoon of live entertainment, activities and dining.

Highlights will include a fashion parade (with prizes for the best dressed), music and dancing, face painting and LGBT+ inspired art and poetry created by Belong Crewe’s residents and apartment tenants. Attendees can meet the Crewe teams from Cheshire Constabulary, as well as Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, who will be offering the chance to take selfies with their famous pink fire engine.

The aim of the event is to bring local people and organisations together and provide a safe space for everyone to feel confident being themselves, no matter their age, or who they love. Celebrations also coincide with the reopening of Belong Crewe’s onsite Bistro to members of the public for the first time since the pandemic began over two years ago. 

Silver Pride has been made possible thanks to Cheshire East Council’s ‘Connected Communities’ strategy, and supported by sexual health charity, Body Positive North Wales & Cheshire, as well as donations of crafts materials from stationery retailer, Rymans.

Leading this year’s event, Jess Butler, experience coordinator at Belong Crewe, said: “We love Silver Pride; it brings out the best in everyone and we’re thrilled to be able to host the party, once again. Our customers are excited for the occasion and we’re looking forward to sharing with them and the community in the weekend’s festivities.”

When: Saturday 18^th June 2022, from 14:00

Where: Belong Crewe, Brookhouse Drive, Crewe, CW2 6NA

How: Free entry. Pre-booking essential. Contact village reception or call 01270 561200 to reserve tickets.

About Belong Villages

Belong Limited is a charitable organisation, operating villages with a range of care, housing and support options for older people, as well as extensive amenities in the village centre. These include bistro, hair salon, specialist exercise studio and function rooms. People can choose to live independently in a Belong apartment or within a supported 24-hour care environment.

Belong specialises in supporting people with dementia, and 24-hour care is provided in extended family-sized households, with modern open plan layouts specially designed around the needs of people with dementia. All employees working in Belong villages are trained in dementia awareness, from domestic assistants through to bistro staff. The organisation is also a registered domiciliary provider and can support people in their own home, through its Belong at Home service.

There are seven Belong villages in Atherton, Crewe, Didsbury, Macclesfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wigan and Warrington, with two more under construction in Birkdale and Wirral. Belong Chester is set to open in July 2022. For more information, see:

www.belong.org.uk

Pictured - Mary, Margaret and Betty, apartment tenants at Belong Crewe, celebrate Silver Pride 2021.