Pride in Leadership event breaks new ground

The Town Mayor of Congleton and Congleton Pride hosted a ‘Pride in Leadership’ event in Congleton Town Hall recently, with the objective of bringing together civic leaders and local town Pride groups to share experiences and ideas for how to make Cheshire towns more inclusive.

The event included delegates from nine Cheshire towns and began with an exhibition from Pride groups, showing their activities both on their annual Pride days and throughout the year.

Congleton Town Mayor Cllr Kay Wesley welcomed the Pride groups as well Mayors, Deputies and Community Representatives from several Cheshire Towns, including the Lord Mayor of Chester. Congleton MP Sarah Russell also attended, and the Chester MP Samantha Dixon sent a video message of support.

The delegates then participated in a workshop facilitated by Body Positive of Cheshire and North Wales, a charity that champions the rights of, and provides services to, people who identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans+.

With civic leaders joining their respective Pride teams for the workshop, the groups were posed questions such as the role of civic leadership in inclusion and the role of Pride organisations in community support and cohesion. The groups identified barriers and opportunities, and explored new ways of working together. The ongoing exhibition and networking during the break allowed delegates to share best practices and cross-fertilise ideas.

Macclesfield has had a Pride group and event since 2018. Sue Armitt, Chair of MaccPride thanked the Congleton team, saying: “We are proud to attend this event with the Mayor of Macclesfield fostering inclusivity in our civic spaces.”

The evening concluded with a number of clear actions for the groups to take forward, including the determination to repeat this event at least annually, with the Chester team agreeing to host the next one.

The Mayor of Knutsford, Cllr Colin Banks, said:

“Thank you for a wonderful evening. I am new to the world of Pride, but this event has convinced me that we should take the first steps in Knutsford."

Chair of Congleton Pride, Malcolm Pope, closed the event, thanking the organisers and addressing the delegates:

“I thank you for attending the first and certainly not the last Pride in Leadership Event. The purpose of the event has been to create a forum for those in Leadership to interact and understand our Pride movements.

“There have been many leading lights from our community that have delivered for all. In medicine, technology, social justice, science, military and even the inventor of peanut butter! In history we tend to be airbrushed out, or those that achieve fall silent on who they truly are. It is a tragedy that we do not celebrate properly who we are and what we have achieved for the greater good of all humanity.

“Judge our Pride movement by its behaviours. We are active members of our communities who seek to make a positive difference for all. We seek to educate. We seek to keep our community safe. Everyone in here from the Pride organisations – the difference you make is incredible – take some time out to celebrate that.

“When rights are achieved they have to be defended. The vulnerable need to be protected. The diversity of life should be celebrated, differing perspectives always create better solutions, more interesting lives and better places to live in.”

Cllr Wesley reflected:

“In many of our towns, the Pride groups are showing leadership in empowering LGBTQIA+ people and creating events that are inclusive for everyone. Civic leaders are also responsible for supporting community cohesion and ensuring that their towns are great places to live.

“It was a new idea to bring them all together to explore opportunities, and it worked well, with powerful insights shared and some inspiring next steps. Many thanks to everyone who came and to Congleton Pride, Body Positive and our Town Hall team for facilitating this exciting event.”

People can get in touch with Congleton Pride:

Facebook - @CongletonPride

www.congletonpride.co.uk