On Saturday, 24 May, we attended the annual Chichester Pride Festival. It was a great day with a wonderful and positive atmosphere. We had an early start so we could get to the front lawn of Chichester College and set up our stand before the festivities started. We decorated it with a combination of Samaritans green and Pride colours, and it looked fantastic!
A very special thanks to Carolyn and Sue, who helped set up the stand at 9am!
During the day we had great support from our volunteers, who took turns to come along and meet and greet the Pride revellers. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand to say hello and, as always, thank you to our brilliant volunteers.
Attending Pride gave us the incredible opportunity to talk with many people about their experience of using our service. Volunteer Carolyn commented that it’s a wonderful feeling when a visitor to the stand says, ‘You are amazing, your service was there for me when I needed it – thank you so much.’
It was also a pleasure to meet with organisations who expressed an interest in learning more about our work. ‘It’s important we are present in our community and show we are there for everyone who may need our help. It is a great event to have been a part of,” said our branch director Paul.
We are proud to have been involved with an event that promotes inclusivity and respect across the community, and we can’t wait for next year’s Pride!
