Diversity Calendar 2023 - 2024
Equality and Diversity at the University of Bedfordshire Our University is proud of our super-diverse local and global community of students and staff. All of us who work and learn within the University are committed to ensuring that all our work begins from the advancement of equity and a principle of inclusion where we respect the rights and dignity of all people whatever their background. Diversity is one of our key strengths and fundamental to our success. We value the diversity of all, and recognise peoples’ distinct, intersectional identities and their role in enhancing our University community. We want to ensure that everyone thrives and are treated equally and with respect and are committed to eliminate practices that undermine or are harmful to anyone involved in the activities of our University. We therefore have a zero tolerance of unlawful discrimination, intimidation or harassment of anyone connected with the University, specifically related to their race, religion or belief, age, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital or partnership status or maternity and pregnancy and are committed to take appropriate action to address it. In addition we strive to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between all people at the University. We are committed to a developing a culture of learning and will create an environment where people can address and debate differences and constantly reflect on practices to drive improvement. We recognise that conversations and debate on areas of equality, diversity and inclusion are often challenging and that people will make mistakes. We will openly acknowledge our mistakes and take accountability to improve practices and ensure mistakes are not repeated.
Our Commitment to EDI A message from our EDI Leads The University of Bedfordshire wants to create a vibrant, ambitious, academic community, celebrating diversity and the transformative power of education. Our University is proud of our diverse local and global community of students and staff. All of us who work and learn with Bedfordshire and committed to ensuring that all our work begins from the advancement of equality and a principle of inclusion where we respect the rights and dignity of all people whatever their background. Diversity is one of our key strengths and fundamental to our success. We value the diversity of all, and recognise peoples’ distinct, intersectional identities and their role in enhancing our University community. We want to ensure that everyone thrives and are treated equally and with respect and are committed to eliminate practices that undermine or are harmful to anyone involved in the activities of our University. This can be achieved through a values-based Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which recognises our responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) to create working and learning environments which are non-discriminatory, inclusive of all, and that value diversity, intersectional needs and identities.
2023
September
Our National Inclusion Week EDI Panel - National Inclusion Week 2023
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | International Blood Cancer Awareness Month | World Alzheimer’s Month | World Dementia Awareness Month | Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month
9th Milton Keynes Pride International Literacy Day
September Mon Tue Wed Thu
4
5
6
10th World Suicide Prevention Day
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
15th International Day of Democracy Rosh Hashanah – Judaism Navaratri - HIndu
8
9
10
17th World Deaf Day
7
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
18th International Equal Pay Day 21st International Day of Peace World Alzheimer’s Day 23rd Bi Visibility Day International Day of Sign Languages Mabon – Wicca/Pagan 25th UK National Inclusion Week begins 29th World Heart Day
Diversity Environment
Faith
Health
International
Disability
2023
October
Black Excellence in Performance - Black History Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month | Down Syndrome Awareness Month | Black History Month | Global Diversity Awareness Month | Stoptober
October Mon Tue Wed Thu
Fri
Sat
9 16
3 10 17
23
24
30
31
Diversity Environment
Faith
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
2nd Dyslexia week begins Black Business week begins 6th World Cerebral Palsy Day
Sun 1
2
1st International Day of Older Persons
8 15 22 29
10th World Mental Health Day 11th National Coming Out Day 15th
Navaratri - Hindu 17th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 18th World Menopause Day 19th International Pronouns Day 20th Show Racism the Red Card 26th Intersex Awareness Day
Health
International
Disability
31st Samhain – Wicca/ Pagan
2023
November
Our remembrance service Remembrance Sunday
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month | Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month | Movember Men’s Health Awareness Month | Islamaphobia Awarenes month
November Mon Tue Wed Thu
6 13 20 27
Diversity Environment
7 14 21 28
Faith
1st All Saints’ Day – Christian 5th Guy Fawkes Night
Fri
Sat
Sun
12th Remembrance Sunday UK Interfaith Week begins 13th World Kindness Day
1
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
16th UK Disability History Month begins
19
17th International Student’s Day
15 22 29
16 23 30
24
18 25
26
19th International Men’s Day 20th Transgender Day of Remembrance 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 27th Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev – Sikh
Health
International
17
14th World Diabetes Day
Disability
2023
December
Our Wheelchair Rugby Team - International Day of Persons with Disabilities
1st World AIDS Day
December is Universal Month for Human Rights | AIDS Awareness Month | Decembeard
2nd International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
December Mon Tue Wed Thu
Fri 1
4
5
6
7
8
Sat 2 9
3rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Sun 3
7th Hannukah begins - Judaism
10
8th Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) – Buddhist
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
5th International Volunteer Day
31
10th Human Rights Day 18th International Migrants Day 21st Yule – Wicca/Pagan 24th Christmas Eve – Christian 25th Christmas Day – Christian
Diversity Environment
Faith
26th Boxing Day Kwanzaa begins
Health
International
Disability
31st New Year’s Eve
2024
January
Our graduates celebrating their achievements - International Day of Education
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month | Celebration of Life Month |Dry January | Good Care Month | Veganuary
January
Mon Tue Wed Thu 1 8 15
2 9 16
3 10 17
22
23
24
29
30
31
4 11 18 25
1st New Year’s Day 4th World Braille Day
Fri
Sat
Sun
5
6
7
12 19 26
13 20 27
14 21 28
5th Twelth Night - Christian 10th Chinese New Year 13th Lohri/Maghi – Hindu, Sikh 15th Makar Sankranti – Hindu 21st World Religion Day 24th International Day of Education 25th Burns Night Mahayana New Year – Buddhist 27th Holocaust Memorial Day 28th Data Privacy Day
Diversity Environment
Faith
Health
International
Disability
2024
February
Running our Race Equality Charter Student Forums UK Race Equality Week
February is UK National Heart Month | LGBT History Month |
1st World Interfaith Harmony Week begins Imbolc – Wicca/Pagan
February Mon Tue Wed Thu
5
6
7
Fri
Sat
4th World Cancer Day
Sun
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
5th National Apprenticeship Week UK Race Equality Week begins Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week begins 11th International Day of Women and Girls in Science World Day of the Sick 11th Autism Sunday 13th Shrove Tuesday – Christian 14th Saint Valentine’s Day Safer Internet Day 15th Parinirvana Day/Nirvana Day – Buddhist 20th World Day of Social Justice 21st International Mother language Day
Diversity Environment
Faith
26th International STAND UP to Bullying Day
Health
International
Disability
2024
March
Student Celebrating Holi the festival of colours - Holi
1st Zero Discrimination Day International Wheelchair Day St David’s Day
March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month | National Bed Month
March Mon Tue Wed Thu
3rd World Hearing Day World Wildlife Day 7th World Book Day Lailat al Miraj – Islam
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
8th International Women’s Day 10th Ramadan Begins Mothering Sunday 17th Saint Patrick’s Day – Christian
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
18th Global Recycling Day Neurodiversity celebration week
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
20th Ostara – Wicca/Pagan begins Nowruz (New Year) – Iranian
24
21st Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination World Down Syndrome Day
18 25
Diversity Environment
19 26
Faith
20 27
21 28
29
23 30
31
24th Palm Sunday – Christian 25th Holi – Hindu International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery Hola Mohalla – Sikh 31st International Transgender Day of Visibility Easter Sunday – Christian
Health
International
22
Disability
2024
April
Baroness Doreen Lawrence Speaking on Campus - Stephen Lawrence Day
April is Stress Awareness Month | Parkinson’s Awareness Month | Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
April Mon Tue Wed Thu
2nd World Autism Awareness Day 7th World Health Day
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
1st April Fool’s Day Easter Monday – Christian
8th International Romani Day 10th Eid al Fitr – Islam 13th Vaisakhi – Sikh 15th Universal Day of Culture 22nd Earth Day Stephen Lawrence Day Passover Begins - Judaism 23rd Saint George’s Day – Christian
30
25th World Malaria Day 26th Lesbian Visibility day
Diversity Environment
Faith
Health
International
Disability
28th World Day for Health & Safety at Work
2024
May
Our Mental Health First Aiders - Mental Health Awareness Week
May is Stroke Awareness Month | UK National Walking Month | Celiac Awareness Month | Local and Community History Month
May Mon Tue Wed Thu 1 6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
Fri 3 10 17 24 31
1st Beltane - Wicca/Pagan Deaf Awareness Week Begins 3rd World Press Freedom Day 8th World Red Cross Day
Sat 4 11 18 25
Sun
12th International Nurses Day
5
13th Mental Health Awareness Week Begins
12
16th Global Accessibility Awareness Day
19
17th International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
26
21st World Day for Cultural Diversity 22nd International Day for Biological Diversity 23rd Vesak – Buddhist 25th Anniversary of the Murder of George Floyd
Diversity Environment
Faith
31st World No-Tobacco Day
Health
International
Disability
2024
June
Student praying on Campus - Eid Al Adha
June is Motor Neurone Disease Awareness Month | Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Awareness Month | LGBTQ Pride Month | Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month | National Safety Month
June Mon Tue Wed Thu
3
4
5
6
Fri
7
5th World Environment Day 8th World Oceans Day Global Wellness Day 11th Shavuot – Judaism
Sat
Sun
1
2
8
9
12th Men’s Health Week Begins 14th World Blood Donor Day 16th
Eid al Adha – Islam
10 17 24
11 18 25
12 19 26
13 20 27
14 21 28
15 22 29
16 23 30
18th Autistic Pride Day 20th World Refugee Week Begins 21st Litha - Wicca/Pagan 22nd UK Windrush Day
Diversity Environment
Faith
23rd International Women in Engineering Day
Health
International
Disability
2024
July
Staff enjoying our Summer Party - International
Friendship Day
July is UV Safety Month | World Watercolour Month |Group B Strep Awareness Month | Anti Boredom Month
July
Mon Tue Wed Thu
6th Islamic New Year
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
14th International Non-Binary People’s Day 15th World Youth Skills Day 16th Ashura – Islam 17th World Day for International Justice 18th Nelson Mandela International Day 26th Tish’a B’av – Judaism 30th International Day of Friendship
Diversity Environment
Faith
Health
International
Disability
2024
August
High School students taking part in our Bedford Forest School World Youth Day
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month | Happiness Happens Month | Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month
August
1st Lughnasadh – Wicca/ Pagan
Mon Tue Wed Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
28
29
30
31
Diversity Environment
Faith
Health
International
Disability
25
9th International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 12th International Youth Day 19th World Humanitarian Day Raksha Bandhan – Hindu 21st International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 23rd International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
2024
September
Students in the Library National Literacy Day
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | International Blood Cancer Awareness Month | World Alzheimer’s Month | World Dementia Awareness Month | Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month
September Mon Tue Wed Thu
Fri
Sat
6th Ganesh Chaturthi – Hindu 9th International Literacy Day
Sun 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
30 Diversity Environment
28
4th World Sexual Health Day
29
10th World Suicide Prevention Day 15th International Day of Democracy 17th World Deaf Day 18th International Equal Pay Day 21st International Day of Peace World Alzheimer’s Day Mabon – Wicca/Pagan 23rd Bi Visibility Day International Day of Sign Languages UK National Inclusion Week begins 27th World’s Biggest Coffee Morning – Macmillan
Faith
29th World Heart Day
Health
International
Disability