Introducing our dynamic new diversity and inclusion learning series

Big Local is for everyone. Here our learning and networking programme manager, Adam Smith, introduces our new learning series, designed to help make sure our partnerships reflect, include and value their entire communities.

As part of our learning and networking support for Big Local areas, I’m very pleased to announce that we’re launching an exciting new series of events on how communities can support, encourage and engage with diversity and inclusion issues where they live.

Recognising and celebrating diversity in our communities and valuing the different skills and experiences that each person has to offer is crucial to our work. Big Local is for the benefit of everyone in the community, and partnerships should not only to reflect the community in which they work but to actively enable anyone to get involved.

We’ve seen Big Local areas doing more and more work to increase participation of different groups or tackle injustices in their communities over the past year or two, which has been really inspiring.

With issues such as Black Lives Matter and trans rights now more prominent on the global stage than ever, it’s clear that we need to keep thinking about how we can support Big Local partnerships to cultivate inclusive communities and challenge discrimination or exclusion in their work.

We will be taking on a range of big but exciting topics over the coming months, including;

• how to have a constructive discussion about racism
• a session exploring unconscious bias
• how to ensure everyone in a local area is considered in a Big Local plan
• how to build alliances with different groups
• what Black Lives Matter means for Big Local
• how to address discrimination when you see it happening.

We are also developing events to explore issues relating to gender, disability, sexuality, faith, and how to responsibly use data to understand demographics in your area.

We will also be ensuring there are opportunities for reflection on what these topics mean for individuals in Big Local areas. As the project develops, we’ll add new sessions informed by what we have learned.

We have created this series to help embed discussions around diversity and inclusion in the Big Local programme and ensure that everyone feels welcome to get involved.

This is why we have created this series; to help embed discussions around diversity and inclusion in the Big Local programme, build the confidence of partnerships to discuss these issues and respond to them, and empower partnerships to ensure that everyone in their area feels welcome to get involved and has their skills and experience recognised and valued.

We would encourage anybody interested to continue conversations on this topic and share valuable resources on our dedicated Workplace group. You can find more events as they are released there, as well as on our events page and when they are promoted on social media and in our monthly newsletter.

If you have an interesting story to share with other Big Local areas or suggestions for future topics, please let us know by emailing programmes@localtrust.org.uk