As well as being an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusivity and show your support for LGBTQ+ communities, attending a Pride event could even lead you to your dream job.
That’s what happened to vet James Boys when he saw the team from Coastway Vets having the time of their lives at Brighton Pride.
Now settled into life at Coastway, James reveals how he found the perfect practice…..
WATCHING the parade at Brighton Pride I caught sight of a large group of people dressed in colourful animal costumes, holding up a Coastway Vets banner and just having the best time. I knew I’d found the perfect practice where everyone was welcome and I could be myself.
Brighton Pride is an occasion like no other. In a city that’s well known for being welcoming and embracing diversity, it’s incredible to be part of such a colourful, vibrant and joyful event where thousands of people join together in celebration of different cultures.
Taking place on the first weekend in August, it’s an important event in Coastway Vets’ calendar, with the team taking part to show that it’s an inclusive place to work as well as being a good opportunity for us to socialise together.
It was attending Pride in 2018 that led me to Coastway Vets. I saw their float go by and thought it looked like a friendly, inclusive practice to be part of.
At the time I was working further out of town and while I was happy there, I was hoping to find a practice closer to home. When a vacancy came up at Coastway I applied, went for an interview and really liked it. I was really pleased when they welcomed me to the team.
I’m not the only team member who has joined our practice this way and Pride led at least one other colleague to Coastway.
Now I’m proud to take part in Brighton Pride alongside my Coastway Vets colleagues. One of our RVNs, Jay Maxim, organises our involvement and this year we’re trying to make it bigger and better than ever and would like to invite VetPartners colleagues from other practices to join in the fun.
Supporting Pride is important to me because it’s a great celebration of the diversity of humanity and the progress that has been made. However, it’s also a reminder that there is still a lot more to be done in terms of acceptance, both across the world and closer to home, so more people can feel they are free to be who they are without being judged.
Our involvement in Pride doesn’t end with the parade and we also organise a dog show for Pride Community Day, which is held later in August. As well as the dog show there are stalls, games and entertainment and it’s brilliant fun – we have drag queens hosting the dog show and this encourages lots and lots of laughter.
Taking part in events like this is all part of the community spirit we have at Coastway, and it’s great to get out and about and meet local people and pet owners.
I’m so lucky to work at such a fantastic practice with brilliant colleagues and everyone gets on really well. We do a lot of things together socially, including summer barbecues – we’re in the most amazing location with the beach just a few minutes’ walk from our veterinary hospital.
I’m fortunate that I have always worked in supportive practices, but I do hear about people who are unable to be themselves at work and don’t get the support they need. I would always say to someone that if they are unhappy they should reach out, and there is a brilliant organisation called the British Veterinary LGBT+ society that can offer support and friendship and organise social events, as well as lobbying professional bodies for change.
Plus, there really should be no reason to be unhappy at work when they are great places to work like Coastway and our other VetPartners practices, which nurtures a diverse workforce, fosters a sense of belonging and wants its employees to be happy and enjoy rewarding and fulfilling careers.
For more information, contact Jo Browne, PR & Communications manager (South), email: jo.browne@vetpartners.co.uk