Council awarded with prestigious Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status
02 Feb 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
In recognition of their work to address racial inequality within the organisation, Northumberland County Council has been awarded with the Race Equality Matters (REM) Bronze Trailblazer Status.
Bronze is the first stage in the Trailblazer series spotlighting organisations that are implementing impactful solutions to drive race equality. This is for organisations that have implemented REM solutions and/or have taken action on race inequality in other ways.
The Council has embedded and continues to grow their Race Equality Staff Network Group, which has resulted in:
- A valued space for ethnically diverse employees to meet and discuss ideas for positive change. Members of the Network are at the heart of the Council’s ambition to create meaningful change.
- Greater awareness and understanding across the workplace of race equality and the importance of diversity at work.
- Open and honest conversations around unconscious bias, being an active bystander, and why allyship is imperative to achieving racial equality.
- Collaboration with underrepresented groups across the Council’s nine staff network groups, outlining a commitment to change and equality for all.
- Establishing a clear and detailed pathway to build on existing success, to address racial inequality further and work towards Silver Trailblazer Status.
Designed to recognise organisations driving meaningful change in the race equality sphere, REM Trailblazer status has been determined by an independent panel of experts - all with lived experience of race inequality in the workplace. Trailblazer status is #MoreThanAnAward. The purpose is to:
- Identify what is making a meaningful impact
- Encourage those making an impact to keep the momentum going
- Inspire others to up their game
- Evidence an organisation’s commitment to #ActionNotJustWords to tackle race inequality
Becoming a Trailblazer means the work the Council has done has resulted in change and made an impact across the breadth of the entire organisation. A step that aims to successfully address racial inequality and become a more diverse, inclusive, and equal organisation.
Cllr Wendy Pattison, cabinet member for Adults’ Wellbeing, said: “Each employee brings with them their own individual strengths, perspectives, and creativity. This diversity strengthens the workforce and allows us to fulfil and uphold our core values.
“True trailblazers, the Race Equality Network are champions of equality and diversity at the Council. The Network influences positive change across the entire workforce and its practices.
“Striving for inclusivity, the Network’s recent work around allyship and anti-racism is just one example of how they continuously move toward meaningful change.”
Race Equality Matters is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to be the catalyst to move organisations and individuals from just talking, to taking meaningful action that has a real impact on tackling race inequality.
Race Equality Matters co-creates concepts and solutions in collaboration with those with lived experience of race inequality and develops the tools and know-how for them to be implemented.
Through the REM network of thousands of changemakers, these co-created solutions reach organisations and millions of employees, from race networks to allies, to achieve the change we all want to see and feel.
The Council will be taking part in Race Equality Matters’ Race Equality Week campaign between 6 -12 February.