18 Dec 2025
By Rosie Watson, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator
As the calendar year comes to a close, I am reflecting on our recent Employee Resource Group (ERG) Members Day. It was a day of celebration and recognition, bringing together staff from across different ERGs and from different levels of the organisation.
The goals of the day included:
Recognising the impact of and hard work of ERGs.
Facilitating connection across ERGs, and from outside of ERGs and within.
Raising awareness of profile and work of ERGs.
Guest speaker Tash Koster-Thomas (EDI Consultant, Co-Founder of Breaking the Distance) kicked off the day with an engaging talk, introducing the concept of intersectionality and how it is relevant to our workplace.
“When there is no name for this problem, when you can't see a problem, you can’t solve it.” - Kimberle Crenshaw
Tash encouraged attendees to reflect on which identities are most centred in their ERG’s work to highlight which identities are perhaps less well represented. She also encouraged reflection on ways ERGs could collaborate with each other this year. This planted the first seeds of collaboration between our ERGs.
Next came a discussion workshop to get attendees thinking about intersectionality in a meaningful way and connecting with one another.
We asked attendees to consider how specific aspects of their identities intersect and how that impacts their opportunities, both in the workplace and in life. Our discussion questions were designed to create space for reflection, openness, and genuine connection.
One attendee reflected that “networking with different staff and hearing their perspectives and stories, it shows true community no matter your work title.”. Others reflected on how nice it was to have the opportunity to talk to colleagues they haven’t met in other parts of the organisation.
The awards section of the day was brought to life by the dynamic duo: Mike Trace, CEO, and Tony Adams, Chair of Trustees. We celebrated many staff members who had been nominated by their peers for fantastic work within (and across) their ERGs.
We had four awards up for grabs:
In the Deep End: an award for someone who has stepped out of their comfort zone for the benefit of the ERG.
Winner: Stephen Anderson, Enterprise Coach, Race Forward ERG
Best Collaborator: an award for someone who stood out in terms of networking, collaborating, and intersectional working.
Winner: Tevfick Souleiman, Head of Enterprise, Lived Experience of the CJS ERG
Most Valued Member: an award for someone who stood out in terms of their all round contributions to the ERG.
Winner: Ted Burr, Admissions and Referrals Coordinator, Proud ERG
ERG Leader Award: an award for someone who has demonstrated excellent leadership of their ERG.
Winner: Abbie MacGregor, Community Development Manager, ForWomen ERG
All in all, it was a wonderful day that reminded me why I love working in the EDI space. We saw vulnerability, reflection, connection, and appreciation across a group of staff, some of whom have never met before. It confirmed that our ERGs are growing and developing and I’m excited to see where they will be in a years’ time when we revisit the members day!
