Celebrating Pride month is an important and exciting part of the Papier calendar. Our Pride ERG runs events and raises awareness throughout the month, as well as providing support for the LGBTQIA+ community all year round. Our four ERGs offer a safe space for people to connect with each other, celebrate their identities and share personal experiences. Together they help to foster the inclusive community at Papier we are so proud of.
As part of our celebrations this month, the ERG ran a workshop in collaboration with The Trans & Solidarity Alliance creating origami flowers. As keen paper people, this felt like the perfect activity to spark our creative juices. We chatted to the chair of our ERG, Morgane, to find out more about what they created and shared on the day.
How did you get involved with the Pride ERG?
I started as chair of Papier’s Pride ERG after one of the members suggested I get involved with the group. From the get go, I learned the multiple facets of commemorating, sharing and bringing ideas about the Queer community, which has not only been an important learning curve on a personal level but also amongst my peers.
What does Pride mean to you and why is it important to celebrate it in the workplace?
Understanding everyone’s journey with their queerness and how others apprehend the queer world is fascinating and highly educational. The workplace is an amazing starting point to learn about the different ways to view, communicate and educate about being queer or an ally. So embracing and celebrating it is extremely important.
What was the significance of making origami flowers?
Claire, our Senior People Manager and co-chair of the Pride ERG, got in touch with the Trans & Solidarity Alliance and said we’d love to be a part of their Flowers of Solidarity Project. The paper flowers made by the team will go on to be handed out at Pride events during June and July, to raise awareness about The Trans & Solidarity Alliance’s mission to advance the rights and conditions of Trans + people in the UK.
How do workshops like this build a sense of community at Papier and elsewhere?
I think visibility in the workplace becomes possible when activities are made simple, friendly and optional. The ERG decided to dedicate a volunteering day to be active around Pride month. After many regroups, members found a queer charity to help and then invited the wider team at Papier to simply drop in and craft something. This format worked its magic and allowed people outside the ERG to contribute.
Did the workshop provide a platform for people to connect & share their personal experiences?
Seeing colleagues who aren’t part of the Pride ERG turn up on the day was the biggest reward! Word of mouth spreads so positively at Papier, and we’re lucky enough to have the resources and support to make activities like this happen. Seeing companies talk more and more about different communities shows that progress is being made possible. Inclusion is the foundation of innovation.
