Diversity & Inclusion

At Our Co-op, our people mean most to us. We strive for a diverse and inclusive environment for all our Colleagues, Customers and Members, where all people can be their authentic selves.

This is why we have introduced our new working group, the Inclusion Allies Network.

This network is made up of colleagues who represent one of the nine Protected Characteristics, which are: Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, as well as Pregnancy, Race, Religion, Sex and Sexual Orientation.

The Inclusion Allies Network is an internal colleague network which aims to foster an inclusive and supportive environment, ensuring every colleague feels valued.

The network strives to promote equality, address barriers, and advocate for the rights of individuals by leveraging the expertise and experience of our Inclusion Allies.

We promise that, together, we will:

Act as gatekeepers to all Society decisions related to Diversity & Inclusion
Provide support, advice, assurance and governance to the Society’s commitments on diversity and inclusion for race, age, disability and gender
Monitor and report on the agreed key areas of the Society’s performance in relation to diversity indicators
Champion, promote, recognise and value our diverse colleagues and community
Challenge any and every barrier to equal opportunities
Make recommendations on policies and practices within the Society