The BBC, publisher HarperCollins and the Royal Air Force were named among the 11 winners at the 2016 Business in the Community Race Equality Awards.
Held on Tuesday a fortnight ago at Hilton Park Lane, London, the awards, now in their 10th year, celebrate outstanding practice, innovation and dedication to race equality and inclusion in UK workplaces.
The glittering round-table ceremony, which featured a drinks reception, entertainment by singer Byron Jackson and pianist Richard Black, a four-course meal, was attended by over 500 guests. Among organisations represented included DWP, HSBC, Imperial College London, Google, MOD, Ministry of Justice, PwC, Network Rail, Shell, Santander, Oliver Wyman and Tesco.
The Employee Network Awards, private and public sector, went to HarperCollins and the BBC, respectively. St Mungo’s, a homelessness charity, was presented with the Inclusive Workplace Culture Award. Judges chose the MAMA Youth Project for the Developing Talent Award. TeachFirst scooped the Future Workforce Award. The Role Models in the Workplace Awards, large and small organisation, went to Indi Hothi of Ernst & Young and Joshua Oware of Rare, respectively. The evening’s host was ITV News presenter Charlene White.
Awards founder Sandra Kerr OBE heaped praise on the winners and finalists, “all should be incredibly proud of their achievement,” she said. Guests heard from Dr Nicola Millard, Customer experience Futurologist at BT who spoke about the importance of diversity of thought in future work.
Guest speaker, Baroness Susan Williams of Trafford, who was appointed a junior minister in July this year, spoke about the importance of embracing race equality and inclusion in the workplace. Her speech came just days after it emerged that her department, the Home Office, was trying to censor a report that makes blunt and damning criticisms of ministers’ failure to manage the impact of mass immigration, integrate minorities and tackle extremism. The report, by the government’s integration tsar, Dame Louise Casey, has been ready for months, but publication has been delayed after Home Office officials expressed “concern” and “unhappiness” about its content and language.
Britain’s ethnic minorities make up 14 per cent of the national population. By 2051, one in five people in the UK will be from a BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) background, representing a scale of consumer spending and political voting power that business and government alike cannot afford to ignore. A full list of winners, Highly Commended and finalists can be found at www.bitc.org.uk