Leading NHS Partner IC24 Supports Pride in Ashford

IC24 are one of Ashford in Kent's biggest employers. A not for profit organisation that provides essential support to the NHS including managing much of the 111 services.

IC24 encourages their employees to be themselves at work. This includes the obvious legal requirements of course, however staff are encouraged to share who they are and have the opportunity to understand the perspective of others. This is perhaps a desirable quality when dealing with the public's health and well being.

As part of this positive attitude to work IC24 have enabled those members of their team in Ashford to participate in the town's first Pride festival this year if they wished.

Team Manager Connor Warke (in photo) explained to Les Frontieres:

"At IC24 for the last few years we have brought together teams to celebrate pride and show our faces. For 2022 and 2023 we attended Brighton Pride, it was a real joy and really nice for colleagues across IC24 from all sites to get involved and meet each other. More importantly it was to show our faces and show support for pride for all those attending. It was a great way to show were a diverse and inclusive company to work for, but also to be there for our colleagues who are in the community. "

As we know, pride has been celebrated for years over the world and in different countries and states, towns, cities. It's a time where we can stand up for rights in the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate that love is love.

This year at IC24 we have celebrated Ashford Pride, Ashford held their first pride this year which is fantastic and will be in the history books for 2024. As our head office is in Ashford it was important to us to contribute and sponsor, it was a great celebration and all those attended were in high spirits.

This month we will be attending Norwich Pride, where we have another contact centre, again we will be there to show we're diverse and be there for our communities. Who knows where we will be next year, were always trying to be educated and hold events for all different groups at IC24. We currently have 4 colleague recourse groups, LGBTQ+ & friends, Cultural inclusion 4all, Brave women and disability confident. In these groups we get together, hold conversations and events related to different topics and discuss what more we can do at not just IC24 but contributing towards the outside in day-to-day life. "

Les Frontieres extends our warmest congratulations to IC24, Connor and his colleagues for the work they are doing both at Pride and within the NHS.