BRITISH Chambers of Commerce’s Workplace Equity Commission will be led by Gill Hunter of Square One Law.
She will serve as the executive director of the commission, where she will work with other top national experts and companies to develop recommendations for the government and private sector on how to advance the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) agenda in the workplace.
The commission will look at workplace equity from a variety of perspectives, taking into account the interconnectedness of age, disability, racism, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Additionally, it will examine how companies might be helped to develop the skills and potential of every worker.
Hunter, the managing partner at Square One Law, said: “With the creation of their Workplace Equity Commission, the BCC is establishing itself as a leading voice in the progression of equality, diversity and inclusion across UK businesses.
“I am delighted to be chairing the commission which will see top-class experts and business leaders develop real solutions to the challenges we come up against on our path to a truly equitable, inclusive and representative economy.”
The BCC International Women’s Day research, which polled 4,000 individuals and was released last March, served as the basis for the commission, the organisation’s first body of work of its sort.
The commission is a component of the BCC’s three-year workplace equity programme.
THE 17th Belfast Mela Festival, a multicultural celebration in Northern Ireland, will be held later this month featuring activities over a nine-day period.
It is anticipated to draw tens of thousands of tourists to take in performances of music, dance, arts, drama, and wellness.
Before the significant day of celebrations on Sunday, August 27, a colourful powder-throwing event called Mela Colours will be added to the schedule this year.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Ryan Murphy, stated the Mela Festival “encapsulates our city and its welcoming spirit, while also celebrating the diverse, dynamic and fantastic mix of cultural diversity” during the event’s opening.
Dr Nisha Tandon, OBE, Founder of Belfast Mela and Director of ArtsEkta*, noted that since the festival’s inaugural year in 2007, when just 300 people participated, it has grown significantly.
“It’s now an incredible nine-day festival which now attracts more than 60,000 people and representatives from more than 20 nationalities who have made Belfast home,” she said.
Funfair parades across the city, a mini-mela at Belfast City Hall and the main festival in the Botanic Gardens on August 27 are all expected to be highlights of this year’s event.
*ArtsEkta is a social enterprise that helps in transforming communities through shared creative experiences.
THE director of Birmingham LGBT, Steph Keeble, received an honorary doctorate in business administration (DBA) from Aston University for her outstanding contributions to education, social justice, and the growth of learning.
The honour recognises her for her ground-breaking work in the voluntary and community sectors, her devotion to inclusion, and her commitment to enhancing the quality of life for many populations.
For more than 25 years, Keeble has been a key player in the field of inequities, working in a variety of roles like support work, community development, fundraising, and chief executive roles within the domestic violence and LGBTQ+ sectors.
Under her leadership, Birmingham LGBT has grown from a small organisation with a £10,000 annual revenue in 2008 to a company with a turnover of about £1 million, employing 24 staff people and receiving help from 30 volunteers.
On receiving her award, Keeble said: “I feel really honoured and humbled to accept this award from Aston University. In accepting it I would like to acknowledge and thank the dedicated staff and trustees at Birmingham LGBT, as without their hard work and support I could not have achieved this.”
Birmingham LGBT is an organisation aimed to raise awareness of issues that affect Birmingham’s LGBT citizens through consultation, community engagement, advocacy, strategic engagement and lobbying.
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