Volunteering at Kettering Hospital

Anastassia Parsons

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY

AND

WHAT INCLUSION MEANS TO ME

Diversity is a fact, inclusion is an act. In other words, diversity is the measure of how inclusive the way we interview and recruit, conduct our meetings, communicate with students and colleagues, line-manage and evaluate others’ performance and so on.

In this edition of the inclusion series, we bring the personal perspective of Emma O’Brien and Susan Throssell-Hunt.

Emma O’Brien (Women’s Representative for Students, The Bedford Sixth Form

“Inclusion is so much more than being part of something. It is the feeling of belonging in a place and being welcomed every time you walk in a room, the burst of pride you get when someone recognises the little academic milestones you reach no matter how small. We often make the mistake that inclusion is only significant when it comes to large groups. When I first joined the Sixth Form, coming from a school out of the area I knew nobody, the thought of this was extremely daunting as it was out of my comfort zone, but from the minute I walked in, I was welcomed by others who shared my situation and I immediately met a lovely group of people. This might only seem small, but it has changed my view on a lot of things. Never be afraid to introduce yourself and even have a small chat with someone - you never know how it can impact them when they feel like they are part of something even if it is only small!”

Susan Throssell-Hunt (Centre Administrator and Co-chair of the Women’s staff network)

“Inclusivity needs to be the cornerstone of everything we do and take part in. It means remembering that every person is an individual with their own passions, thoughts, struggles and stories to tell. It means embracing our differences, including them in everything we do and not letting them divide us from one another. It means waiting, caring, understanding and above all, including everyone in everything no matter how long it takes to get it right.

I have been part of an international organisation for over 28 years where we work together to get inclusivity right. This is a work in progress, and we are learning all the time. For example, in meetings, everyone gets an equal amount of time to speak. People may decide not to use their time, but the space will be there, even if they don’t have much to say; some people take longer to gather their thoughts than others. No one speaks twice unless everyone has spoken (or had the chance to) once. We have an interpretation team where language liberation is seen as imperative to the good functioning of an organisation, irrelevant if someone ‘needs’ interpretation. This all takes time and patience, and meetings are slowed right down – not hugely conducive to the society we live in – hence why I think a fully inclusive society would be very different to the one we live in now.”

Promoting LGBT+ diversity and inclusion

Link to the College’s website for highlights from our journey www.bedford.ac.uk/about/equality-and-diversity/ lgbtplus-inclusion

Here are several examples from this year’s activities to celebrate LGBT+ History Month in 2021:

• A talk with Sue Sanders, one of the founders of

LGBT+ History Month

• A panel discussion with external panellists ‘Let’s talk about being LGBT+’

• A work experience project for Art & Design students to create a banner for the College’s website to celebrate

LGBT+ history month, with the winning piece being voted for by students on our social media channels • A project for students to wear a colour of the rainbow flag each day www.instagram.com/p/CKwa_h_

HWcS/?igshid=laivqhj21hz. The project also involves sharing of stories from famous LGBT+ film makers and memorable film and TV moments from history.

• A series of articles on the intranet for staff to encourage LGBT+ allyship including recommendations for books, films, podcasts and articles; Using pronouns in email signatures;

Performative allyship / genuine allyship; Why LGBT+

History is different to Pride month

• Ebooks on LGBT+ themes are made available for students and staff

• Articles in Connect staff newsletter featuring LGBT+ student reps explaining what inclusion means to them.

DIVERSITY CALENDAR

8th International Women’s Day

Gender equality is not a women’s issue, it is everyone’s issue.

The theme this year, #ChooseToChallenge, aims to inspire each one of us to help create a gender equal world. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias, stereotypes and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements and help create a more inclusive world. www.internationalwomensday.com

What can you do in practice?

Use gender-inclusive language such as ‘everyone’, ‘students’, ‘people’ and ‘visitor’

Challenge sexist language and gender stereotypes: “Man up, big boys don’t cry”, “You throw like a girl”, “boy’s colour” or “girl’s book”

Use the stories of role models to inspire young people for gender ‘non-traditional’ careers

Review your area for gender inclusion: uniforms, access to toilets and changing rooms of equal quality, displays and curriculum materials

Discuss perceptions of behaviour based on gender stereotypes that may influence your behaviour management and outcomes for students.

Women’s staff network

The network is an inclusive group available to all members of staff in The Bedford College Group with an interest in gender equality, regardless of own gender identity. It is an open group and staff are invited to join in at any time. The group provides support and a collective voice for the experiences of women from all backgrounds and anyone identifying as female in the College. The network does not endorse positive discrimination in favour of women.

Interested? Please contact Susan Throssell-Hunt or Hayley Wedgwood-Setchell (Co-chairs of the network).