June marks Pride Month. It’s a chance to celebrate, to reflect, and to stand alongside our LGBTQ+ colleagues, customers and communities.
At Coastline, our purpose is simple. We provide safe, secure homes and help build inclusive communities. That only works if people feel able to be themselves. Without fear of judgement. Without fear of discrimination. And Pride is an important part of that. It isn’t only for people who identify as LGBTQ+. It matters to all of us. Because inclusion and belonging sit right at the heart of wellbeing.
We know from research that when people feel able to be their true selves, they tend to have better mental health and stronger connections with the people around them. And we also know the opposite is true.
The Mental Health Foundation highlights the impact that discrimination and lack of acceptance can have on mental wellbeing. Stonewall’s research shows that many LGBTQ+ people still feel the need to hide who they are at work.
Feeling like you can be open about who you really are matters. Because when we can’t be ourselves, it affects confidence, engagement and how we feel all day every day. When we do feel safe and included, we’re much more likely to thrive, build positive relationships and contribute fully.
You might have seen this great video from a TED talk about how it takes followers to make a leader, featuring ‘shirtless dancing guy’ dancing on his own at a festival. If not, take a look, and notice how nothing really happens until the first person joins them. And then another. And another. Until suddenly there’s a whole crowd, and it becomes something joyful and collective.
Those positive feelings and connections are exactly what we’re trying to build at Coastline. That’s our culture. It’s something that all of us shape, every day, through how we treat each other.
And that culture extends beyond our teams at Coastline as well. It’s about the customers and communities we serve. Everyone deserves a place where they feel safe, respected and able to call home. When we get that right, we help create stronger, healthier communities where people genuinely feel they belong.
Thank you for the part you play in that. It really does make a difference.