Reflections on Pride

“We loved seeing people truly being able to be themselves in a fun environment.”

“It was great to hear people speaking positively about how they manage their mental health and to hear recovery stories of how people have come out of the other side and are now enjoying life again (and the role that West Sussex Mind played in that).”

“It was inspiring to hear people speak openly about their mental health, to feel that there wasn’t any stigma around this – and, most importantly, to know that we had created a safe space for people to share their experiences.”

“We loved hearing people’s ideas about how we can improve our services and how we can make them more inclusive for our LGBTQ+ communities.”

“It was a reminder for anyone struggling with their mental health, that you can come through difficult times and still have these enjoyable moments and celebrations of life.”

“We experienced touching moments between families (siblings, parents and children), saying how they support and care for one another. It was very moving!”

“Pride was a great opportunity for us to receive feedback – thank yous and acknowledgements of the work we do. Testimonials such as 'if it wasn’t for West Sussex Mind, I wouldn’t be at Pride celebrating life today' really moved us! It was hard not to have a tear in your eye.”

“We really saw the impact of what we do, which was very motivating and reminds us of the importance of our job and why we love it!”

Thank you to Katie, Laura, Aly, Louise, Nicky and their manager Will for sharing these reflections with us and for doing such important outreach work in our communities.