B4 ONE: EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION broadcast live on Wednesday 25th November from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Watch Live on here Wednesday 25th November from 10am:

The subject of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is seen by many businesses as a challenge because it is such a huge subject, or perhaps for some, because the subject contains many unknowns. B4 ONE will focus on a wide range of topics to help all of us understand the key issues and move forward positively.

Business today is becoming increasingly global and in a world which has experienced huge changes in the last eight months at least, we are unlikely to revert to what we knew as ‘normal’. Does your business reflect this? If your company and employees don’t engage with what really matters and makes a difference for us all in society, then your business may get left behind. It’s been proven that a diverse workplace is more productive, more creative, more profitable and purposeful, one with lower employee turnover and greater employee engagement. All of these factors can give your company and brand the reputation and legacy you want….and if 2020 has taught us anything it’s that a company’s reputation can be left in tatters if it’s not seen to be doing what is right.

B4 ONE will focus on how you can develop a diverse and inclusive workplace and why equality, is so important for all businesses. With special guests, we’ll be gaining insight into how businesses are implementing programmes of bet practice and understanding how we can all embrace what we need to naturally, encouraging feedback whilst learning as we move forward… no one has the right agenda for us all to work from, each organisation and individual is unique in their own rights, so we need to be in it together and demonstrate our focus and not been seen as artificially constructing a ‘sign above the door’ in the absence of meaningful action being put into practice.

Lydiah Igweh Commented: “Having these necessary, yet sometimes uncomfortable conversations on Equality, Diversity and inclusion as part of the B4ONE series is game-changing. I am delighted to be co-hosting such and speaking to passionate leaders from across different industries about the challenges and opportunities with regards to creating inclusive cultures in the business and the workplace. It is not enough to only speak about these issues. It’s paramount that we all take action. I hope that the B4ONE on Equality, Diversity and inclusion acts as a catalyst for impactful change.”

Why bother?

The B4 ONE series of events focuses on five areas of culture building that are vital to business today. These culture building topics (EDI, workplace wellbeing, sustainability, community building and responsible business) will be regularly covered by the B4 members in co-created articles and webinars as well as featuring as a topic during the year at bi-monthly B4 ONE events. The aim is to ultimately create more regular opportunities to spotlight the key issues at the heart of all of these topics, a deeper dive than the just a B4 ONE event could achieve.

So why EDI? Widely available statistics underline that whilst businesses are focusing on implementing programmes to redress the balance in many areas, so much more needs to be done:

• In schools across Britain, a gender gap persists, with girls continuing to perform better than boys in GCSEs.¹
• In 2008, men in Britain were more likely than women to have a degree-level qualification (22.3% compared with 20.5%). However, this situation reversed over time. By 2013, 27.7% of men had a degree-level qualification, compared with 28.4% of women.¹
• Across Britain, men are almost twice as likely to be a manager, director or senior official than women.¹
• Women are increasingly represented in the UK Parliament and now represent 29.4% of all MPs, compared with 22% in 2010.¹
• Black workers with degrees earn 23.1 per cent less on average than White workers.²
• The homicide rate for Black people was 30.5 per million population, 14.1 for Asian people and 8.9 for White people.²

Linda Hughes of Dynamic HR and Jonna Mundy of You HR have conducted an EDI survey with the B4 community (which they will analyse together on Wednesday) which found that 100% of those responding supported the following statements:

• Provide EDI training to all employees to develop their understanding and raise awareness of the key steps we can all take to make a positive difference
• Reviewing policies and procedures to ensure EDI impact is considered and adaptations made to embrace all employees
• Supporting those with, and educating managers to better nurture, mental ill health and low wellbeing

Jonna commented. “It’s been a real pleasure to work in collaboration on this survey with B4 and members. The survey really highlights what businesses want to know more about regarding Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, and where they need to focus. We’ve received some fantastic results so thank you to all that contributed. I’m really looking forward to sharing more insights and suggested actions at the B4 One event.”

Linda Commented: “Building a diverse workforce isn’t just beneficial; it’s a major factor of success in the modern business landscape. Organisations that seek, celebrate, and embrace diversity have several very real advantages over their competitors. The B4 survey has certainly revealed the interest and desire to make a difference and I’m looking forward to sharing real life experiences to help build strong organisations.”

Get Involved!

We want you to get involved, after all actions speak louder than words, so What’s Your Promise?

We’ll be inviting anyone engaging with Wednesday’s event to contribute one action they’re committed to undertaking by submitting it on social media using #b4onepromise. We’ll reference these throughout the day and include in our post event publication.

You’ll also be able to ask our hosts or speakers a question via Twitter by using the hashtag #askb4one and it may be answered live during the event.

To register and see the full agenda, please visit https://www.b4-business.com/event/b4-one-equality-diversity-inclusion/

Notes to Editors:
For more information, comment or images, please contact: Lorna Waterfield at lorna@b4-business.com or call 01865 742211.

References:

1. ‘Is Britain Fairer?’ (2015) is the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s five-yearly review of equality and human rights in Britain.
2. Statistics and analysis to accompany the race report: Healing a divided Britain, first published in August 2016.

About Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. The museum’s world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.

The museum is open every day, 10am–5pm. Admission is free. Booking is essential.
www.ashmolean.org

About Lydiah Igweh
As Director of Enterprise Support, Lydiah leads on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Oxford Brookes University. Her work is at the heart of the University’s ambition to deliver transformational teaching and research, to build strong links with business and industry and to make a vital contribution to the economy and society at large. She is Chair of Oxford Brookes BAME Staff Network proactively working with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Staff and Student Experience to create organisational change, inform policies and drive awareness of Equality, Diversity and inclusion initiatives with a particular focus on Race Equality.

Before working at Oxford Brookes University, Lydiah was Managing Director of WEIE Digital. An integrated marketing agency where she worked with forward-thinking businesses, ambitious start-ups and committed entrepreneurs looking for innovative digital solutions to drive their brand forward.

She is the founder and former owner of FitFest Oxford, Oxfordshire’s Largest Fitness and Wellness Festival set up to inspire a healthier and happier lifestyle for all.

Lydiah is also a director of Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP) supporting social enterprises in the region and a board member of the Oxford Strategic Partnership Steering Group with a particular interest in the development of inclusive economies.
www.brookes.ac.uk/enterprise/

About You HR Consultancy
We are a Human Resources and Organisational Development Consultancy who listen, understand, action and achieve. Our passion lies in helping businesses reach their full potential by bringing out the best in their people…after all, a positive workforce is a productive one. So if you need help with getting the very best out of your people and your organisation, come speak to us and get the right support in place for you!
www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

About Dynamic HR
Find out more at:
www.dynamiccoach.co.uk

About Studio 8 & Static Airwaves, our outside broadcast partners
Our team can handle the complete online live streaming experience from start to finish. Whether you are looking to stream your event, seminar, or meeting, our crew will ensure your presentation goes out in style. We can arrange a multicam or single camera set up to stream direct to your Youtube channel or Facebook page, Zoom Meeting or Virtual Event.
www.s8.co.uk

About B4
We are one of Oxfordshire’s leading B2B networks with over 300 members in our network enjoying a wide range of benefits on line including connections, learning, inspirational speakers and profile. We are a trusted business community which believes in the value of long-term relationships and which works hard to help business and personal development.
www.b4-business.com

The B4 ONE Series of Webinars
The full list of B4 ONE webinars is as follows:

2021
Wednesday January 20th – Community Building
Wednesday March 3rd – Responsible Business
Wednesday April 21st – Sustainability
Mon 7th to Thur 10th June – B4 Xtra

If you would like to host a B4 ONE webinar, please contact B4 on 01865 742211.

Sponsorship Opportunities
Visit: https://www.b4-business.com/sponsorship-of-b4-one-webinar-events/