Lifeways celebrates diversity with special cultural day in Warwickshire

People supported by Lifeways in Warwickshire came together to celebrate a vibrant mix of ethnicities, nationalities and faiths during a special cultural day, which featured a visit from the local mayor. 

The event, co-produced by the team at Lifeways’ supported living service Beada House in Bedworth and two of the people they support, Sara and Addison, gave staff and residents the chance to share their unique backgrounds and beliefs in a welcoming and inclusive setting at Bedworth Methodist Church. 

Friends, local commissioners, and the first-ever Gurkha Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Bhim Saru, all attended, joining in recognising the rich diversity of the community. 

Deputy Manager Beverley Deeming, who helped organise the event, said: "We have people from all walks of life at Beada House, from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan to Poland, representing a variety of faiths. I thought it would be wonderful to bring everyone together to share their backgrounds and experiences so we can all better understand and appreciate one another. 

“Lifeways have been incredibly supportive throughout, and I’ve received encouragement from colleagues across the organisation. Sara and Addison put their hearts and souls into this, and it was amazing to see this co-produced event come to life.” 

Led by Mayor Saru, everyone involved introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds, while also enjoying interactive activities such as match the flags to the country and quizzes, which proved popular with everyone involved. 

"Some of the people we support at Beada House don’t usually speak up much, but on the day, they had the confidence and really got involved and it was wonderful to see them sharing their experiences and enjoying themselves,” added Beverley. 

Beada House is a development of 16 high quality self-contained apartments which provides 24-hour support for people with complex mental health needs. It was previously awarded an overall ‘Good’ rating from the CQC following its last inspection in 2019. 

Find out more about Beada House here: Beada House | Lifeways