Representatives of the adult social care sector marched near the front of this year’s London Pride Parade for the first time to show their commitment to diversity, inclusion, and outstanding care.

The presence was organised by the Outstanding Society, a community interest company which aims to share and celebrate best practice and support others to enhance standards and raise the visibility of the sector.

Sponsored by Virgin Money, the march included representatives from organisations across the social care sector, including CQC, Care England, The National Care Forum and National Care Association. Providers taking part included Berkley Care Group, Majesticare, HC-One, Care UK and Caring Homes.

The parade took place along its traditional route through the city from Hyde Park to Whitehall, and included an estimated 32,000 people from more than LGBTQ+ 500 groups. The theme of this year’s LGBTQ+ history month was medicine, celebrating the contribution of LGBTQ+ people to the field of medicine and healthcare.

Sanjay Dhrona, director of The Outstanding Society, and managing director of The Close Care Home, which also took part in the march, said: “I never imagined a day where I would wave the flag at London Pride surrounded by 99 colleagues from the adult social care sector. The support from the directors of The Outstanding Society, Championing Social Care, our regulators, and the sector at large means we are on the path to making a meaningful and long-lasting impact on those we work with and work for.”

Laura Purvis, people resourcing director at Berkley Care Group, said: “It was fabulous to see so many people from the sector enjoying themselves and the crowds of people cheering. We continue to champion inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that everyone in our care and team feels valued and respected.”

She added: “We are committed to promoting a culture of acceptance and equality, and we are proud to have walked with so many incredible organisations to represent adult social care.”

Derek Breingan, head of health and social care at Virgin Money, said: “At Virgin Money we have a culture of inclusion and trust and as an ally of diversity, equity, and inclusion I am really delighted to be able to support the Outstanding Society at Pride 2024 and the work Sanjay is doing with the Outstanding Diversity Forum.”