Excellence in Diversity Awards

Author: admin

  • RAF

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Public Sector

    Operating on an international stage to deliver a variety of effects, the RAF employs 35,000 uniformed personnel across over 50 countries. They have worked tirelessly for many years to change their internal culture, and have been successful in establishing an inclusive way of thinking and working in an engaging environment. A wide variety of Network Groups include LGBT, World Faiths, Race and Gender are provided. Using Positive Action, the RAF ensure diverse recruits are attracted and use their 480 trained Diversity Advisers to provide bespoke career support. Given that the RAF had many employment restrictions for women in place until 1990’s, they have a great story to tell in that women are now represented at board level with a healthy pipeline of talent.

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  • Anna Kennedy

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diversity Champion Award for Education Sector

    Anna re-mortgaged her own house to set up a school for autistic children after her two autistic sons were turned away from mainstream education. She has now expanded support for those with autism to include two specialist schools, a Vocational College for 45 adults and a respite home. They now have the largest specialist educational facility for those with autism in Europe, and have helped thousands of youngsters to get a safe, structured and highly effective education, meaning that they can go on to lead productive and rewarding lives. Anna is a national and international ambassador for autism, and has created a viral autism community of over 70,000 families affected by autism from UK and overseas.

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  • Freedom To Donate

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diversity Marketing Campaign Award

    In less than a year, FreedomToDonate has gone from one person’s desire to repay the donor who saved his Grandfather’s life, to a national, cross party, popular campaign engaging key stakeholders and influencers at the highest levels of politics. The campaign has already secured the backing of 30 MPs from all of the major Westminster parties, and in December 2015, Jane Ellison (Public Health Minister), announced that a review into blood donation guidelines would go ahead in 2016. Now, an astonishing 40,000 people have signed a petition in support of the campaign.

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  • Orbit Group

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Housing Sector

    With almost 50 years’ experience, Orbit’s one of the largest housing groups in the UK, with over 1,200 employees and 39,000 homes in the Midlands, East, South East and London. The heart of Orbit is its people, providing specialist services to improve the social, economic and environmental prospects its 100,000 customers. There is an advice services team for vulnerable people, a community investment team supporting community development and a customer wellbeing strategy focusing on domestic abuse, mental health, social isolation and learning for work. Supported by HQN and Stonewall reviews, there’s a new focus on equality and diversity (E&D) within Orbit. A staff disability forum was set up alongside an established LGBT group and integrated into Orbit’s engagement framework. Orbit’s E&D forum was re-launched, focusing on accountability as well as incorporating a range of diversity initiatives. All evidence provided is testament to Orbit’s passion and commitment to putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the core of its business.

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  • Modupe Adefala

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Employee of the Year Award

    Modupe is Manager of Religious Affairs at Campsfield House (Immigration Removal Centre) leading the multi-faith, multicultural and multilingual Chaplaincy Team of 7. The Centre has grown in capacity from 252 to 282, representing 10 different religious affiliations, 43 nationalities and 25 languages. In 2015, she was appointed as Diversity Champion and representative on the Mitie Diversity Steering Group. Outside of her role at Mitie, Modupe works closely with Love Oxford, Oxford Pastors Forum, Churches Together in Oxford and Oxfordshire Council of Faith. This fosters links to faith communities that are in the minority and disadvantaged. Since 2010, Modupe has served as a Lay Member on the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board to represent minority communities, and is Chair of Word Fountain Christian Ministries’ Board of Trustees where she leads a diverse congregation as Pastor – facilitating the social, cultural, religious and economic integration and empowerment of over 400 adults and children.

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  • Mott MacDonald – Advance Network

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Outstanding Diversity Network Award

    Mott MacDonald Advance Network is a great example of best practice. The employee network was started as a grassroots movement by staff passionate about EDI. Through engagement with senior leaders, and supported by an evidence based business case, the network was created and funding secured. Advance has ten Regional Champions who are provided with protected time to cover all protected characteristics, with two managing each of their five geographical regions. Advance has spearheaded several organisational and culture change initiatives, promoting agile working, tackling bullying and harassment and delivering unconscious bias (UB) training. The UB training has been delivered across the UK to over 400 members of staff who have volunteered to attend ‘lunch and learn’ style workshops. The feedback for these sessions has been hugely positive with a 93% satisfaction rating with further sessions planned in 2016 for the UK and the US. A perfect example of a truly inclusive network supporting the diversity of an organisation.

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  • Victoria Silverman

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diversity Champion Award for Private Sector

    Victoria is an award-winning communications lead with a background in journalism, PR, internal communications and corporate storytelling. Currently at Thomson Reuters, her role is to engage an audience of 54,000 employees in 100+ countries. Victoria has helped raise employee Pulse survey scores in 14 of 25 areas through global campaigns including: “Women Who Rock!” that engaged 33,000 men and women; “The Power of Us” online diversity conference that engaged more than 7,000 employees, and, their “On Side With Pride” campaign to engage all employees around LGBT programs and people, supporting three major awards. Victoria has created exceptional ‘DNA’ blog posts that have been read by tens of thousands of employees, including a blog and video on black dogs (depression) viewed by an astonishing 11,000+ employees. Supported by a vast array of praising endorsements, it is clear that Victoria has used ground breaking, creative communications to drive engagement across Thomson Reuters to support a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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  • St Mungo’s

    EiDA16 Winner

    Diverse Company Award for Charity Sector

    St Mungo’s is a homelessness charity and housing association which places clients at the very heart of its work, believing in their potential and supporting them to rebuild their lives. Their vision is that everyone has a place to call home and can fulfil their hopes and ambitions. To achieve this vision, they work with over 2,500 people a night who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. Internally, St Mungo’s is committed to creating an environment where Diversity & Inclusion are valued and celebrated. St Mungo’s has six diversity networks, all of which participate in regular meetings with members of the Executive Team. Furthermore, each network has a senior sponsor to champion their cause and ensure Diversity & Inclusion are embedded at all levels of the organisation. St Mungo’s is determined to go above and beyond to create an inclusive working environment. They are currently in the middle of a three-year Diversity & Inclusion strategy, becoming examples of best practice within their sector.

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  • Ann Norris

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Lifetime Achiever Award

    Ann has spent over 60 years working and volunteering in the disability field, and despite retiring in 2003 currently works as an External Verifier for NOCN’s new programme Pathways to Adulthood; a pioneering programme to help young people with learning difficulties to become as independent as possible. Ann has spent her entire professional life working with learners with special educational needs, and has been an extraordinary ambassador for ensuring many workplaces developed inclusive policies, so that learners with SEND needs were not disadvantaged. She has notoriously made significant advances in Albania, and is currently in her 20th year of voluntary work out there. In 1995, on a VSO project, she started the first Gateway (Mencap’s leisure clubs) in Eastern Europe, and personally raised £15k to purchase an apartment that is now a resource centre in Librazhd. Ann also spent 30 years volunteering for Sheffield Mencap, and is now Vice Chair of MEDPAK with branches throughout Albania. Her consistent commitment to diversity is phenomenal.

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  • The University of Aberdeen

    EiDA16 Shortlisted Nominee

    Diverse Company Award for Education Sector

    The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495 making this educational establishment Scotland’s 3rd oldest, and the UK’s 5th oldest university. Based in the North East of Scotland the university is research based with a strong emphasis on excellence in learning and teaching. As a University, they employ over 3,500 staff and boast over 16,000 enrolled students, populations of both are increasingly diverse. They have a vision to create an ‘inclusive culture’ which will ultimately ‘celebrate the diversity’ of all staff and students. The University is active in engaging with the local community with a range of initiatives in place, including the successful ‘Project SEARCH’ – an exciting initiative set up to support young people with additional needs to gain skills and experience to go on to employment. With statistics showing a strong percentage of diversity levels at senior management and above, and an incredible standard of evidence provided, it was clear that The University of Aberdeen deserves to be commended.

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