Inspire Education Group Proud to Represent at Peterborough Pride

Staff and students from across Inspire Education Group (IEG) proudly joined the celebrations at the annual Peterborough Pride event. The Group’s vibrant presence highlighted its ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for the LGBTQIA+ community year-round.

The celebration took place on Saturday 18th July at The Embankment, bringing together live music, local community stalls and an atmosphere dedicated to promoting visibility, social justice and equality. Inspire Education Group took an active role in the celebration, demonstrating to current and prospective students that they are visible, valued and free to be exactly who they are.

Demonstrating a long-standing commitment to inclusion, IEG became the first FE college to achieve the Rainbow Flag Award in 2024, a national quality assurance framework focusing on positive LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion. This milestone reflects the Group’s continuous efforts to train staff, support students and challenge discrimination across all learning environments.

At the heart of IEG’s inclusive culture is a strong Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) framework. Inclusion across the Group is shaped by colleagues and students through our LGBTQ+ Student Forums and staff Special Interest Group. Thank you to our LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group for organising and championing this opportunity; stepping out of their usual roles to show their support for our community.  

Having passionate staff volunteers from across the organisation on hand at The Embankment gave future students a chance to see first-hand the approachable, friendly faces available to support them through their educational journey.

Katharine Levy, Group EDI Coordinator for the college at the event, shared:

“At Inspire Education Group, we champion respect and inclusion every day, so we were proud to celebrate our values alongside our local community at Peterborough Pride. It has been fantastic seeing the Peterborough community standing together in allyship and even more special to see the smiles from students who spotted our stand. We are here to remind everyone that further and higher education are spaces where you can show up and be accepted exactly as you are. Thank you to the passionate volunteers who stepped up in force and the team at Peterborough Pride for a brilliant event.”

The college extends a special thank you to the team of volunteers who made the day such a success:

• Katharine Levy (pictured) 
• Robyn McGowan (pictured)
• Kirsty Ford (pictured)
• Lizzi Mote (pictured)
• Louise Witts
• Amber Penn
• Polina Ivanova
• Hanna Bryszewska

By stepping out onto The Embankment, Peterborough College reinforced its visible, lasting promise to champion a culture of belonging, safety and pride for every student and staff member, 365 days a year.