Our Rainbow Badge initiative

We hope seeing Sue Ryder staff and volunteers wearing the rainbow badge will help LGBTQ+ people to feel welcome and create an inclusive culture across our organisation, from our shops and warehouse to our offices and care centres.

The Rainbow Badge initiative started in 2017 at The Evelina Children’s Hospital London. The initiative sees staff members wear rainbow badges at work, as a strong visual symbol to LGBTQ+ people accessing healthcare to show that “I'm someone you can talk to about LGBTQ+ identities, and I will do my best to help you if you need it.”

The initiative quickly became nationwide and in just 18 months, the Rainbow Badge was adopted by over 90% of NHS trusts.

All staff and volunteers are welcome to take part in the Rainbow Badge initiative. By wearing a rainbow badge, you signify that:

1. Service users, their loved ones, customers, staff and volunteers are in a safe, open and inclusive environment.
2. You will advocate for the needs of LGBTQ+ people.
3. You will help break down barriers LGBTQ+ people face.
4. You can signpost service users, colleagues or customers to more information on LGBTQ+ identities.

Our rainbow badges are heart shaped and display the Progress Pride flag colours.

If you would like to participate in the Rainbow Badge initiative, please watch our 20-minute video below before requesting your badge.

This video will:

• explain the history of the Rainbow Badge and why it is important
• enable you to use the right terminology within your work
• explain what it means to be a safe and approachable person to the LGBTQ+ community
• explain what practical steps you can implement to make a difference.

So far over 1,000 staff members and volunteers have completed the training, with around 25% of this total coming from volunteers!

Once completed, you can then let us know where to send your Rainbow Badge for you to collect through our Rainbow Badge request form.

We hope that this initiative will help to create a welcoming and inclusive culture for LGBTQ+ people across Sue Ryder, from colleagues and customers to service users and their families.

This initiative has been developed at Sue Ryder through the hard work of our LGBTQ+ network and with the support of colleagues across our organisation.

All of our staff and volunteers are invited to take part in the Rainbow Badge initiative if they would like to. You can complete the training and wear the rainbow badge regardless of your sexuality or gender identity.