THURROCK mayor Cllr James Halden was one of a number of south Essex civic dignitaries to attend an event at Basildon Hospital on an afternoon of picnics at sites across South Essex as part of Pride Month.

The celebrations were organised by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's LGBTQ+ network to help raise awareness of the issues facing the community and to show off its diverse staff network. Hospital staff were joined by local Mayors, LGBTQ+ charities and hospital radio teams

There were packed lunches and refreshments at the picnics, which took place across the Trust's three main sites in Southend, Basildon and Broomfield.

Lauren Shillito, improvement and change management specialist and member of the LGBTQ+ network, said: "I've always found colleagues to be very supportive at the Trust, and pride picnics are a key part of our summer calendar. LGBTQ+ staff are an important and valued part of the Trust's culture of equality, diversity and inclusion.

"In the short time that I've been working here, we've come a long way. We have the Stonewall Silver Award and Rainbow Badge Award, which shows how inclusive our Trust is."