Each February, LGBTQ+ History Month gives us a chance to reflect, celebrate and affirm that everyone – regardless of who they are or who they love – belongs in our community. This year, staff and residents across three of our schemes marked the occasion in the most colourful way possible: with rainbow icing, piping bags, and a whole lot of creative energy.
The sessions were relaxed, drop-in style activities where residents could come along, pick up a cupcake, and decorate it however they liked. The results were brilliant – from bold rainbow-striped designs and intricate floral patterns to smiley faces and hearts!
More Than Just Cake
Activities like these might seem simple on the surface, but they offer something genuinely valuable. Coming together around a shared, low-pressure creative task gives people a natural opportunity to connect, laugh, and just enjoy being in the same space. For many of our clients, moments like these are an important part of building confidence, reducing isolation, and feeling a real sense of community.
The activity was warmly received across all three schemes, with clients of all backgrounds taking part. Some brought incredible artistic flair; others went for pure exuberance. What mattered was that everyone was welcome, everyone participated on their own terms, and everyone left with something they had made themselves.
Why LGBTQ+ History Month Matters to Us
QVT is proud to be a HouseProud member, demonstrating our commitment to being an inclusive, affirming organisation for LGBTQ+ residents, staff and supporters. LGBTQ+ History Month is an important moment in our calendar – a time to acknowledge the journey towards equality, celebrate LGBTQ+ lives and culture, and reaffirm that our schemes are spaces where everyone is seen, valued and respected.
This year’s theme, set by the national campaign, is ‘Identity’, and what better way to explore that theme than through creative self-expression? Whether a resident chose to pipe a rainbow, a flower, or simply their own unique pattern, each cupcake was a small but meaningful act of self-expression in a safe, supportive space.
A Taste of What’s Possible
Watching clients from our Church Road, Bromley Road and Verdant Lane schemes laugh together, trade icing tips, and compare their finished cupcakes is a perfect illustration of what supported housing can look like at its best: a place where people aren’t just housed, but genuinely supported to live, connect and thrive.
A huge thank you our team and volunteers who organised and facilitated the sessions across all three schemes, and most of all to the clients who brought so much colour, creativity and joy to the afternoon.
Here’s to many more moments like this!
To find out more about life at QVT, you can read the ‘news’ section of our website