Fareham care home flies the flag for Pride

A colourful and lively celebration was held at a care home in Fareham to mark LGBTQ+ Pride.

Residents at Care UK’s Parker Meadows, on Redlands Lane, decked out the home in rainbow flags and brought out the feather boas to welcome drag artist Brenda Rant for an afternoon of glamour, humour and music.

 

Accompanying the live entertainment was a range of activities for residents to enjoy including singing, dancing and games of bingo and’ higher or lower’, which all promoted the message of inclusivity.

Resident Freda Aplin, 93, said: “There was lots of laughing and joking and everyone was so happy. It’s important to celebrate Pride and include people from all walks of life!”

All team members at Parker Meadows have taken part in equality and diversity training as part of the home’s dedication to creating an open and warm environment. This is supported by Care UK’s LGBTQ+ Network, which provides training and guidance to team members on related issues, as well as developing an open culture in every care home.

Lukasz Mikolaj Irzabek, General Manager at Parker Meadows, said: “We had a fantastic time celebrating Pride and flying the rainbow flag.

“We’re committed to ensuring the home is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, which is why we were delighted to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community in our own special and colourful way.   

“Pride month has a wonderful ability of bringing people together and we are so happy to see everyone enjoy the big celebration – it was great to see everyone getting involved and laughing and singing. I’d like to say a massive thank you to Brenda Rant for entertaining us all!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Parker Meadows incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care, in addition to independent living bungalows on-site. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge and dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.