HS2 Ltd has taken part in its third consecutive appearance at the Pride Carnival Parade in Birmingham, held on Saturday 25 May.
Staff from Britain’s new high speed railway were among over 5,000 participants in the procession, with 100,000 lining Birmingham’s streets in support, making it the city’s largest ever Pride Carnival Parade.
HS2 will transform transport in the UK. It will directly benefit over 100 towns and cities, and give rail passengers thousands of extra seats every day. The new railway will also take intercity trains off existing lines to create more space for commuter trains and remove lorries from the road by increasing freight capacity, reducing congestion on Britain’s motorways.
Participation in the event was hosted by Onboard, the HS2 Ltd staff network for LGBT+ and allies, which supports and promotes the belief that everyone has the right to be who they want to be in the workplace.
The network meets monthly, and its members champion, progress and communicate initiatives which support LGBT+ elements of the diversity agenda.
HS2 Ltd aspires to be an inclusive and welcoming place for its employees and the companies and communities it works with. HS2 is already supporting 9,000 jobs around the country, with 30,000 needed to design and build the railway at peak construction.
The Parade also featured an appearance by the rainbow JCB digger of Building Equality, an alliance of construction organisations and professionals working together to drive LGBT+ inclusion in the construction sector and supported by HS2.
The Onboard network was also supported by HS2’s Community Engagement roadshow, who welcomed 500 visitors to the trailer in its location just outside the Bullring shopping centre. The roadshow is visiting numerous locations to highlight to the public all the opportunities HS2 is offering, including jobs, skills and education prospects, as well as how to apply for funding as part of the £40 million earmarked for community and business projects along the route.
HS2 will be joining the Pride London celebrations on Saturday 6 July.
HS2 is also a member of the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme.