Clients, staff, and volunteers came together last month for a day dedicated to celebrating the different identities, cultures, and life experiences that make our QVT community what it is. The day also marked Disability Pride Month, with a focus on inclusion, accessibility, and disability as a valued and natural part of human diversity.
The day started the way the best QVT events always do – with everyone pitching in. Clients, staff, and volunteers set up tables and decorations together, while others took over the kitchen. Vegetables were chopped, salads assembled, and homemade dishes and desserts prepared, with plenty of laughter and conversation along the way.
Before lunch, a member of staff gave a short presentation on identity, difference, and Disability Pride Month, encouraging everyone to think about what makes up their own identity and why a community where everyone feels respected and included matters so much.
Then came the part everyone had been waiting for: an international buffet, prepared by clients, staff, and volunteers, bringing together flavours from around the world. The spread included a rainbow fruit salad and rainbow vegetable salad, a traditional British Ploughman’s lunch, Indian vegetable pulao with raita, Nigerian plantain, Jamaican curry goat with rice, Turkish yoghurt soup, Bangladeshi raw mango salad, Pakistani samosas, and Polish salad, alongside fresh breads, salads, and other accompaniments.
One of our client volunteers led the way on a beautiful rainbow cake, made together with fellow clients and shared after lunch as a fitting sweet finish to the meal.
As people ate, conversation moved easily between tables. Clients and staff shared stories about their cultures, traditions, and the memories certain dishes brought back. What started as lunch became something more: a chance to connect, learn from one another, and celebrate just how much richness there is in our community.
The afternoon closed with two performances that stayed with everyone in the room. A volunteer shared a heartfelt original poem about identity, met with warm applause, and two clients performed a piece of music they had written especially for the day, bringing the celebration to a close to cheers and appreciation from everyone watching.
Thank you to everyone who gave their time, creativity, cooking, and performances to make the day such a success. Sharing your stories, talents, and cultures so openly is what made it feel like the welcoming, inclusive space it was.
Our next community event celebrates Recovery Month this September. Keep an eye out for details; we hope to see you there!
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