Throughout Pride month this June, we have been holding events and sharing important messages with our staff promoting inclusivity at our Trust.

All of this culminated with a musical performance from our Chief Pharmacy Technician and member of our LGBT+ Network, Mike Dixie.

Donning a rainbow bow tie and braces, Mike entertained staff in the Lavender Garden with a 15-minute set featuring well-known songs which embody the Pride spirit, such as Cyndi Lauper's True Colours and This Is Me from The Greatest Showman.

Mike said: “When I started my first song, I was a bit nervous but I really enjoyed it. It’s nice to be in front of people and see them having a good time. After the year we’ve had, it was nice to forget about everything for a bit and enjoy ourselves.

“Yesterday was a great way to support the equality, diversity, and inclusivity agenda at our Trust.  The LGBT+ Network has grown so much from when I first joined it and everyone is welcome to join us.”

Among the audience were Ben Morrin, our Deputy Chief Executive, and Remi Odejinmi, our new Director for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity

After Mike’s performance, Ben thanked everyone who attended and spoke about the importance recognising and supporting all of our people. He also praised Mike for having “the best boots in BHRUT” - referring to his sparkly shoes.

Remi then discussed how key it is to be an ally to our networks, like security advisor Mark, and encouraged people to join our LGBT+, BAME, and Ability Not Disability networks as we strive to ensure everyone feels appreciated and represented at our Trust.

Mike then closed the event with a performance of Over the Rainbow.

To find out more about what we’ve been up to during Pride month, head to our LGBT+ Network’s Twitter account.