The theme for National Inclusion Week 2023 was ‘Take Action: Make Impact’. With the help of ‘Inclusive Employers’ guide of daily actions, each studio gathered for a series of activities and workshops throughout the week.

Take Action – engage, equip, empower, embed and evolve.

Inclusion and engagement go hand in hand. Team members who feel included and valued for who they truly are, will tend to engage to a greater degree. On Monday we set up a ‘share who you are’ board in each studio posing the question, ‘what makes you, you?’, leading into discussions the following day. Talking about our identity with other team members celebrated our diversity; increasing our understanding of what makes each of us unique, but also highlighting common values and beliefs. We noticed the absence of notes which described defining physical features. Whilst some people wrote down things that they enjoy doing; others noted their nationality or faith. A large majority of us picked out our core values. We acknowledged there were groups of similar principles under the bracket ‘open-minded’ and ‘practical’, yet others which sat as contrasting opposites.

Team members drawn from numerous countries across the world felt especially patriotic. Those from the UK expressed a positive devotion to their hometown, yet were less inclined to actively share their satisfaction of being British. Those in the Altrincham studio, felt particularly proud to be from the North.

A handful of people described their love for the outdoors and being amongst nature, with others sharing activities they enjoyed whilst outside. This emerged as an overarching theme, paired up with creativity, curiosity and being aware of our surroundings. Surprisingly no one added their job role to the board, which was unexpected as introductions and new conversations often begin with questions such as ‘What do you do?’.

Many team members either felt their family, or the role they played within the home was fundamental to who they are, raising the question, ‘Does the point in your life change who you are and what you are defined by?’ Conversation moved on to the exploration of how life’s milestones (becoming a parent, or beginning to recognise the effects of aging for example) can sequel both positive and negative reactions. We considered the role of support groups or policies in aiding those struggling in such scenarios. Similarly, a series of sessions to increase awareness, close skill gaps and provide insights relating to various topics were suggested, to encourage the creation of a more inclusive practice.

At Wednesday’s Rise and Shine, our B Corp EDI Working Group presented the data and key themes of a survey conducted earlier in the year. We discussed the feedback and outcome of workshops at the beginning of the week, and how collectively they will steer the EDI action plan and initiatives for the year ahead.

As National Inclusion Week coincided with Second Hand September, on Thursday we hosted a clothes swap fundraiser in support of the Social Mobility Foundation. This event aligned with our B Corp values by promoting recycling and reuse, enabling us to refresh our wardrobes and make the most of clothes we may have fallen out of love with, but have plenty of life left in them. Personal style plays an important role in terms of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, and our team are given the flexibility to express themselves through their clothing and fashion without restriction. Any clothes that hadn’t found a new owner by the end of the week were donated to refuges and local charitable organisations.

This week has been an excellent stimulus to empower our team members to speak up and constructively challenge. Most importantly it brought us together. We’ve all felt safe, listened to, and valued for our contributions.