Excellence in Diversity Awards

Category: Latest Blog

  • Karin Woodley

    EiDA16 Winner

    Lifetime Achiever Award

    Karin Woodley has 30 years’ of chief executive experience in public-facing charities tackling social and cultural injustice and inequality. Currently Chief Executive of Cambridge House, a South London charity tackling poverty and social injustice; Karin is a council member of the Economic and Social Research Council; Vice-Chair of London South Bank University’s Student Union; Vice Chair of Community Action Southwark; and a trustee of Locality – a network of community-led organisations. Previously, Chief Executive of the Stephen Lawrence Charity; Karin’s inspirational and creative leadership, humour and care for others combined with strong political acumen, a dedication to human rights and energetic persistence, have enabled her to drive a number of significant changes at a community and statutory level in the arts, education, social action, and criminal justice sectors. Her extraordinary contribution to the diversity and equality movement deserves to be applauded, and cements Karin a place on the Lifetime Achiever shortlist.

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  • Mohammed Zafran

    EiDA16 Winner

    Diversity Champion Award for Charity Sector

    Mohammed (known as Zaf) works at South and City College Birmingham, and is the Founder of All 4 Youth & Community CIC. As popularly broadcasted over UK, his inspiration to set this up was the tragic death of his brother in law (24) who was brutally murdered, and the death of his Blind Sister. Zaf began engaging with youths who were involved in gang culture, and got them involved in sporting activities and community set up programmes. 5 years later, All 4 Youth & Community now has 16,764 youths registered on their books, helped 3,506 youths get back in education, and over 4,500 into employment. They have completed 100 projects without any external funding. This driven individual also set up a pioneering women’s academy which enables young Muslim women who were being forced to quit education and forced in to arrange marriages at the age of 15, to continue in Further Education once they finish secondary school and find them further career opportunities. Currently Zaf has 4,981 women signed up to the academy.

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  • Family Mosaic

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Charity Sector

    Family Mosaic is a not for profit, independent housing association serving more than 45,000 people; making them one of the largest housing providers in London, Essex and the Southeast. As an organisation, they serve 8,000 individuals from some of the most vulnerable groups including those who suffer with mental health issues and those who have learning disabilities. Family Mosaic have implemented a ‘Community Foundation’, a fantastic initiative that provides up to £2 million in small community grants every year for projects that help their residents, both young and old. This dynamic organisation is fully committed to the promotion of equality and diversity in all services they provide, clearly evidenced with the many accreditations they have achieved including ‘Investors in Diversty ‘and ‘Two Ticks; Positive About Disability’. Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion successfully is a core part of the work they carry out, and they firmly believe that good practices around EDI are at the heart of a fair and equal society.

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  • Katie Shaw

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Employee of the Year Award

    Katie is well known across the region for the positive impact she has made to numerous people’s lives through her active support. She is driven by a simple desire – to ensure that the senior leadership at Asda reflects the diversity in its colleague and customer base. With the launch of the Company’s Women in Leadership Programme, Katie became a Talent Ambassador, one of 30 people across the company chosen to identify and support talent development, mentoring 12 junior female managers annually. She also joined the Gender Steering Group to agitate and drive the Gender focus across Asda. Following this she ran a colleague mentoring programme for over 80 colleagues. Katie also mentors colleagues in support of the company’s drive to increase the number of leaders from an ethnic background, and has supported the Asda’s ethnicity in leadership work. Across Katie’s region she has the highest % of BAME Store Managers. Katie’s latest project has seen her establish the Company Transgender Network for Asda’s 800 Transgender colleagues.

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  • The University of Manchester

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Education Sector

    The University of Manchester strives to be an employer of choice and aims to have an environment so inclusive that all staff and students can flourish and feel valued. As the largest single-site university in the UK, they have nearly 40,000 students and approximately 11,000 staff. Staff network groups, community groups and events are just some of the many ways the university keep their community connected with Equality and Diversity issues. Evidence shows that The UoM have many initiatives in place which assist in keeping them engaged with employees including a Diversity Calendar, Staff Network Groups and an Equality and Diversity Forum. Quality evidence showcased a real understanding from the University of the importance of promoting all protected characteristics. They presented credible information which highlights the great lengths they are going to, to be fully inclusive. With robust policies and procedures in place for both staff and employees, it is evident that The UoM deserve a place on this year’s shortlist.

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  • Shirley Farthing

    EiDA16 Winner

    Diversity Champion Award for Public Sector

    Shirley has worked in the field of Deaf communication and care for many years and to an exceptional level. In recent years, she has been influencing at regional, national and international levels. Her work has included not only being part of a team setting up a specialist medium secure Deaf service at the mental healthcare charity, St Andrew’s, but influencing the development of national professionally recognised standards. Shirley has continually demonstrated her determination to overcome any barrier in her personal and professional life. She has helped local services be maintained when no one else stepped up which would have stopped without her involvement. She has worked tirelessly to champion and support the needs of people with disabilities, transforming lives, life chances and helping people of all abilities to achieve to their potential. Thanks to Shirley and the staff she supports and trains, Deaf patients with serious mental health problems are given opportunities to gain confidence, skills and experience.

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  • HMRC

    EiDA16 Winner

    Best Diversity Resource Award

    A key Government department setting an excellent example across the whole of Government and influencing the wider Civil Service. HMRC wants its workforce to be representative of modern Britain and the public it serves. Its Diversity and Inclusion programmes are underpinned by a belief that no one should be defined by the circumstances or characteristics of their birth, or held back by poverty, ethnicity or culture. They operate three primary formal positive action programmes. Embrace: A programme for black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) colleagues, Positive Action Pathway: A cross civil-service programme, and Minority Ethnic Talent Association (META): Open to BAME colleagues who are under-represented at senior leadership levels. From the centre HMRC provide Expert advice, Inclusive Leadership Tools, Unconscious Bias Training, Disability Master classes, and an interactive inclusion self-assessment tool.

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  • Jiten Patel

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Head of Diversity & Inclusion Award

    A company director and currently the Acting Head of Equality, Diversity and Information Rights at The Open University, Jiten’s background is in Financial Services. He continues to make a significant impact through his passion for D&I. He has designed and delivered impactful strategies, leadership mentoring programmes, and D&I courses and workshops. Specialising in ‘Positive Action’ and mentoring, Jiten delivered pioneering diversity training to all staff at the National College for School Leadership and a range of organisations including the Civil Service. Some 30% of participants of his cutting edge ‘Aspire’ programme, aimed at women, ethnic minorities and disabled people, have made career related moves attributed directly to Aspire. With 20 years’ experience, influencing many organisations and individuals as head of diversity and as a diversity strategist and practitioner, in May 2016, Jiten will be launching his new book, “Demystifying Diversity”, which has already received some excellent feedback from experts in the field.

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  • Asda

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Private Sector

    Asda is one of the UK’s leading retailers, with over 165,000 dedicated colleagues, 640 stores and 26 depots nationwide. Employing a diverse team helps Asda to understand its customers better, resulting in a better standard of customer service. The dedication to Equality and Diversity is evident through its committed internal Network Groups which have been implemented to cover all strands of diversity. E,D & I is at the heart of Asda’s culture and because of this it was recently featured in the Stonewall Top 100 LGBT Employers List – testament to the incredible increase it has witnessed in engagement from transgender colleagues across the organisation. Asda is committed to maintaining an environment which engenders Diversity and Inclusion, and truly believes and understands that Diversity is not just a policy. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion is at the very centre of everything it does.

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  • Rev. Chris Howson

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diversity Champion Award for Education Sector

    Chris joined the University of Sunderland three years ago as the University Chaplain with the specific objective of bringing together the diverse student population and connecting them with the outside world. Chris was the driving force behind the opening of the Interfaith Centre, making a significant impact on the University by connecting people of all faiths and religions under one roof, and offering a place to pray, meet, learn and debate. In addition, Chris has personally set up a number of activities to make a difference, including but not limited to creating a Muslim, Christian Forum, and providing space for asylum seekers to seek sanctuary and learning. Chris has embodied the Universities vision for an open and accessible Chaplaincy, which truly embraces diversity of belief and faith. Under his leadership, a rejuvenated Chaplaincy team has visibly connected with the University and Civic communities. Chris has achieved this in a supportive and enlightened way, reflecting and actively “living” the values of the University.

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