"A day full of smiling faces and supportive vibes" - Balsam Centre Pride Day welcomes families

“I’m so glad that we came… everyone is so welcoming.”

“My 9-year-old daughter had a great time, she enjoyed all the activities. Staff were lovely and welcoming. Fab!”

“The atmosphere is so lovely I know I can leave my son to have fun while I do something crafty myself. Everyone is so friendly. It’s hard for me to relax but I can here.”

“Amazing event! So much for all of us to do. The kids loved it. Thank you so much <3”

“A really lovely day full of smiling faces and supportive vibes. Really felt like a community today.”

Just a few of the comments from The Balsam Centre's Family Pride Day, which returned to The Balsam Centre on Saturday 7 June following the success of its launch event last year.

The purpose of the day was to bring together families from across South Somerset to recognise and celebrate diversity in any form, as well as the common ties that connect us all. The event was supported by 2BU-Somerset, a specialist support service serving the needs of young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) people across Somerset, and attended by Diversity Trust and Switchboard. Activities on the day, which was free to attend, included pizza-making, a glitter hair bar, face painting, games, friendship bracelet-making and many other crafting activities.

Balsam Centre Deputy CEO Emma Brown said, “The Balsam Centre is a safe space for our LGBTQ+ community and allies, and recognises and welcomes diversity in all its forms, including race, ethnicity, neurodivergence and age. Following the success of our first Family Pride Day in 2024, we’ve decided to make it an annual event, bringing local families together in celebration of not only our differences but also everything we have in common.”

Thank you to everyone who came along in spite of the rain, and to Charles Gervais for the wonderful photos.