Sidcup care home flies the rainbow flag for Pride

A Sidcup care home held a very special celebration to mark their first LGBTQIA+ Pride event.

Care UK’s Smyth Lodge, on Frognal Avenue, hosted a rainbow-themed party to join in with local Pride celebrations.

 

On the day, the home’s lounge was adorned with Pride flags and inclusivity messages, while residents had the opportunity to tap their feet and sing along to iconic LGBTQIA+ anthems from across the decades. The team at Smyth Lodge organised a range of activities, including flag making, singing and dancing, which all promoted the message of inclusivity for residents to take part in.

Tracey Cheeseman, Home Manager at Smyth Lodge, said: “Here at Smyth Lodge, we are committed to ensuring the home is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, which is why we were delighted to be able to show our support with a special Pride celebration. Regardless of how old or young we are, it’s important that we celebrate our differences and promote living in a society where everyone is free to be who they want to be."

“Pride offers the perfect opportunity to learn more about the history of the LGBTQIA+ community and it was fantastic to decorate the home with all colours of the rainbow in preparation for the celebration. We were very lucky to have the sun shining too, which only added to the vibrancy of the day!"

Team members at Smyth Lodge have taken part in equality and diversity training as part of the home’s dedication to creating an open and warm environment, 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.

Smyth Lodge has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The state-of-the-art care home, which opened in 2019, provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, and features a cinema, hair salon and activities room.

For more information about Smyth Lodge, please call Customer Relations Manager, Francois Erwee, on 0333 3053 474 or email francois.erwee@careuk.com.

For more general information about Smyth Lodge, please visit careuk.com/smyth-lodge.