Inclusive Companies

Inclusive Awards 2025
2025-11-27 18:30 - 23:30 (America/Detroit) | The Hurlingham Club, Ranelagh Gardens, London, SW6 3PR, United Kingdom
On November 27th, a collection of the nation’s most inclusive organisations & diversity influencers will gather to honour those that lead in diversity, inclusion and fairness in all aspects of diversity.

What Are The Awards All About?

The Inclusive Awards is the only awards ceremony that rewards organisations for harnessing a truly diverse workforce, thus recognising the significant efforts of organisations nationwide that excel in their commitment to equality and inclusion across all strands of diversity.
The Inclusive Awards will cover excellence in all areas of diversity including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race and religion, as well as highlighting diverse employers and employees across a wide variety of sectors including housing, public, private, charity and education.

Leading DEI in Universities: Sharing Best Practice
2025-12-02 11:30 - 13:00 | Online Round Table
Date: Tuesday 2nd December
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Format: Virtual Roundtable (Teams)
CONTACT
Universities are some of the most diverse and dynamic communities in the UK; with constantly evolving student populations, shifting staff teams, and unique cultural challenges. But with that change comes opportunity: the chance to rethink what inclusion and belonging truly look like across campuses.
This roundtable brings together Heads of EDI, People & Culture Leads, and inclusion professionals from universities across the UK for an open, honest conversation about what’s working, what’s not, and what meaningful progress really looks like in higher education.
We’ll explore practical approaches to sustaining inclusive cultures, supporting staff and students, and embedding EDI in fast-changing environments. This is a safe, informal space to share experiences, insights, and challenges and to connect with others who understand the realities of leading this work.
Expect:

Real conversations (no corporate jargon just insight and connection)
Shared experiences and tangible takeaways
A supportive community of peers championing inclusion in higher education

If you’re interested in attending, please contact abigail@inclusivecompanies.co.uk

Equity vs Equality: Are We Too Fixated on Equality?
2025-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Dan Biddle
The phrase “equal opportunities” has, over the years, become the cornerstone of the quest for greater equality, whether in the workplace or society at large. But do we truly understand the role that equity plays in achieving equality?
For us as a business we see equality as the paradise we aim to reach, while equity is the vessel that carries us there. Without equity, the fair allocation of resources, support, and opportunities tailored to individual needs, true equality remains an aspiration rather than a reality.
In this webinar, Dan Biddle, the worst injured survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks in London 2005, consultant and author, will cover:

Understanding the Difference Between Equity and Equality
Practical Strategies for Implementing Equity
Transforming Organisational Culture

About the facilitator
Dan Biddle is the worst injured survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks in London 2005. At the age of 26, he was a fit and healthy Projects Manager working in the construction field and was incredibly high on life when he heard the news that London had won the bid for the 2012 Olympics.
Standing right next to a suicide bomber on the ill fated tube that had just left Edgware Road station, Dan had no idea that his world would forever be changed. Unusually, Dan has full recollection from the moment the bomb went off to the aftermath being trapped in the tunnel to the moment he was sedated in hospital. He has seen, heard, smelt and tasted things that you could not possibly imagine unless you have been through something similar.
As a result of the bombing, he lost both legs, an eye, his spleen and had a whole catalogue of other life threatening injuries. On the day of the bombing he died three times and ended up having his chest cut open and a surgeon manually pump his heart.
When Dan realised things would never be the same again – that he would never work as a Projects Manager again, he began to try and turn things around from his hospital bed. During his 52 week stay in hospital in which he underwent 70 operations, he became a qualified Consultant through the NRAC with a growing realisation that the world was not geared up for a disabled person.
Unfortunately, it was not all plain sailing since the bombing. With a lack of support and years of bottled up torment, combined with constant nightmares and flashbacks – in 2013 he tried to take his own life on three separate occasions. After his third suicide attempt, his girlfriend sought help for Dan’s PTSD, two years later he went on to marry the love of his life. In 2014 Dan set up his own award winning business, dealing with accessibility and inclusion issues. He has become an advocate for Gwent Police, giving training to new recruits around disability awareness and hate crime and also sits on the Independent Advisory Group for the police.
Dan constantly demonstrates that despite horrendous circumstances, it does not have to be the end. He says “It does not mean that you have to say goodbye to your hopes, dreams and aspirations!”
As such Dan has built a company that specialises in promoting equity in employment and supporting disabled people in to work, as well as working with employers to make their recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive, for Dan believes that “It is not a lack of capability but more a lack of opportunity”.

Why we all benefit from disability inclusion
2025-12-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Jackie Carter
24% of the working-age population are disabled (Labour Force Survey, 2025). It is estimated that 80% of disabilities or long-term conditions are hidden.

In the webinar ‘Why we all benefit from disability inclusion” Jackie will speak about her own struggles being a disabled women, how she has worked to demystify disability at the University of Manchester, and offer a provocation for why we need to all improve our efforts in this space. She will draw on her Let’s Talk Disability podcast, her lived experience and the work she has led on to hold those in positions of influence and power to account. It will be an open and honest conversation – and comes with a strong trigger warning – but the aim is to go beyond paying lip service to disability inclusion and give it the attention it deserves in the EDI space. She will also draw on findings from her latest book “Practitioner, Professor, Researcher, Reformer: Women’s Atypical Stories” to reflect on the multiple and intersectional nature of disadvantage, and encourage discussion around how we can all learn from listening to others, being positive disruptors, and becoming torchbearers for the minoritised and marginalised.”
About the facilitator
Jackie self-describes as deaf, dizzy and disabled and as an atypical academic of working-class heritage. Since 2023 she has been the academic lead for EDI Disability at the University of Manchester and is a Disability Inclusion champion. She was named a Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 winner in 2023 in the Education category and won a Culture Shift award in 2025 for her commitment to leadership in Disability Inclusion. Jackie is also known for creating the Let’s Talk Disability podcast series which moves from dialogue to action through conversations with staff at the university. Most recently she presented the findings from this initiative in a paper called Let’s Talk Disability: A Podcast with a Purpose to a Disability Rights workshop. Jackie has written books, given academic and industry presentations, inspired strategic change in her own institution and is involved with disability inclusion at a national level.

Reimagining Change: Power, People & Progress
2026-01-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by: Talycia Nayee (she/her)
After eight years driving impact in the non-profit sector, Talycia is taking a closer look at how change management really works — and where it often goes wrong. Drawing on her experience delivering corporate accreditation programmes and DEI training across topics including menstrual equity, LGBTQIA+ health, mental health and neurodiversity, Talycia invites us to explore what it truly takes to build lasting, equitable change in the workplace.

In this session, we’ll unpack:

The true aims of change management structures
What effective, inclusive initiatives should look like
Why even the best-laid plans sometimes fail
How to navigate repair when things go off course
Best practice insights and achievable quick wins

Join us for a reflective, forward-thinking conversation about how we can design change that doesn’t just look good on paper — but actually transforms the way we work.

Engineering Equity: The Power of Inclusion Moments
2026-01-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by: Poggy Murray Whitham
Engineering, construction, and manufacturing are facing a mental health emergency. Research has shown that people working in these sectors are more than three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. This is a shocking finding that highlights a culture where silence, stoicism, and fear of judgement remain deeply embedded, demonstrating how vital it is that we recognise the importance of psychological safety and mental wellbeing in these sectors.
In this webinar, professionally accredited engineer and multi-award-winning DEI expert and researcher Poggy Murray Whitham explores what these insights mean for workplace culture, not only in engineering but in any male-dominated environment shaped by traditional norms and expectations.
Drawing on professional and lived experience, multiple research studies they have led, and stories from their bestselling book Inclusion Moments, Poggy shows how systems thinking and human storytelling combine to reveal the everyday interactions that shape belonging, behaviour, and organisational safety. Inclusion does not need grand gestures. It starts in the smallest moments, often the ones we overlook, but which define how people show up, speak up, and stay.
This webinar will:
• Highlight the current mental health emergency in the engineering, construction, and manufacturing sectors.
• Share key findings and recommendations from research within this industry.
• Demonstrate how storytelling drives behavioural change by helping people feel, not just intellectually understand, the realities of exclusion and allyship.
• Show how Inclusion Moments can be used to reflect, intervene early, and inspire meaningful and sustained cultural change.

About the facilitator
Poggy Murray Whitham
Director, OutEngineered

Poggy Murray Whitham is a multi-award-winning DEI expert, researcher, and keynote speaker who helps organisations turn inclusion into a strategic advantage.
A professionally accredited engineer by training and Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Poggy was recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Manufacturing Professionals and as a National Diversity Awards finalist from over 85,000 nominations in 2025, bringing both professional and authentic lived experience to every stage they step onto.
A former senior manager in automation engineering, Poggy now works at the intersection of technology and inclusion, showing how embracing diversity drives innovation, productivity, and culture change. They combine deep strategic insight with the lived experience of being Black, Queer, Disabled, and Autistic, delivering talks that are as thought-provoking as they are practical.
Poggy recently delivered their TEDx talk ‘Engineering Equity with Automation’, and released their debut book, ‘Inclusion Moments’, which instantly became an Amazon Best Seller in multiple categories, cementing their reputation as a sought-after voice on the future of inclusive engineering. Currently pursuing a Doctorate in DEI in Engineering alongside their work, Poggy continues to work with companies nationwide to embed inclusion into the heart of their success.

DEI Leaders Afternoon Tea
2026-01-28 14:30 - 16:30 | EY Offices, 2 St Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 3DF, United Kingdom
Gather with a select group of DEI leaders for an inspiring afternoon designed to spark meaningful connection, thoughtful collaboration, and practical insight.
Following the success of our DEI Leaders Breakfast in London earlier this year, we are delighted to bring this community together once again—this time to pause at the start of the year, reflect on priorities, and reignite our shared commitment to advancing inclusion.
We know that driving DEI forward can often feel like a solitary effort, particularly amid heightened scrutiny, budget constraints, and shifting organisational focus. This is why we’ve created an intimate, energising space for leaders like you to recharge, reflect, and reimagine what’s possible.
During this afternoon tea, you’ll have the opportunity to:
• Spark powerful conversations with fellow DEI changemakers who are shaping the future of inclusion
• Dive into real, unfiltered challenges and discover fresh, practical solutions you can take back to your organisation
• Uncover new ideas and bold perspectives that will elevate your strategy and amplify your leadership impact
If you’re interested in attending, please contact info@inclusivecompanies.co.uk

The Invisible Juggle: Balancing Caring Responsibilities
2026-02-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Jess Rad | The WomenHood
This 60 minute session exposes the often hidden and unpaid demands of caring – from raising children and supporting neurodivergent loved ones to looking after aging relatives, partners, and pets. Speaking from her lived experience as a solo mama and parent carer of two children, along with others stories to diversify the experience, Jess brings a candid, human lens to the emotional and logistical pressures carers face, showing how these responsibilities affect wellbeing, productivity, and retention in the workplace.
Drawing on research, personal insight, and best practice, Jess outlines practical steps organisations can take to recognise and reduce the burden, close support gaps, and embed care-aware strategies into everyday culture.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!
Session Outcomes
In this 60-minute talk, participants will:

Understand the emotional and logistical realities of caring roles.
Learn how hidden labour impacts employees and organisations.
Identify common gaps in workplace support for carers.
Discover practical, low-cost strategies to create care-aware environments.
Gain clarity on how to talk about caring responsibilities with empathy and respect.

About the facilitator
Jess Rad is an award-winning speaker and founder of The WomenHood and NeuroCurious. Winner of the 2024 National Diversity Award for Gender and recognised by The People’s Honours 2025, she is a late-identified neurodivergent woman and Solo Mum navigating premature menopause, getting outspoken about the unspoken.
The WomenHood partners with organisations to advance gender equity across women’s health, financial wellness, neurodiversity, and relationships through impactful talks, workshops, and programmes. NeuroCurious creates spaces where individuals and organisations celebrate neurodiversity and foster allyship.
As an Ambassador for SEND charity Amaze, Jess amplifies the voices of parent carers whilst reshaping how society views neurodiversity.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

LGBT+ History Month Collective Learning Workshop with Inclusive Companies
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:30 | Online Round Table
LGBT+ History Month is an important moment to reflect but meaningful inclusion is built through what we do consistently, not just during awareness months.
This facilitated online collective learning session brings together people who are committed to creating workplaces where LGBT+ colleagues feel safe, respected, and able to thrive. It’s designed to be interactive, reflective, and practical, a space for honest conversation, shared learning, and actionable next steps.
We’ll begin by setting the tone and creating a supportive space, before inviting participants to share one small win and one wish for LGBT+ inclusion in their organisation. From there, we’ll explore the current landscape of LGBT+ inclusion at work; what’s shifting, where organisations are making progress, and where challenges remain.
The session will then move into a deeper conversation about how organisations can move from symbolic gestures to sustained, meaningful inclusion throughout the year. Through a collaborative roundtable discussion, participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another, ask questions, and reflect on what works in real-world settings.
We’ll close by bringing the conversation together, sharing collective takeaways, and identifying practical actions that participants can take back into their own organisations.
This session is ideal for HR and D&I leads, people managers, and anyone involved in supporting LGBT+ colleagues at work. With places intentionally limited, the session offers time and space for meaningful engagement and discussion.
THIS IS A MEMBERS ONLY ONLINE EVENT
For further information and to register please contact lucian@inclusivecompanies.co.uk

Embeddedness and Belonging: Global Majority Heritage, Belonging, and the Church
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Rev. Mark Nam 甄英深
National institutions shape everyday life in quiet but powerful ways—through what they name, remember, and choose to make permanent. In this reflective session, Revd Mark Nam explores how deeply embedded institutions such as the Church of England influence belonging far beyond their immediate settings.
As the established church within the UK’s constitutional settlement—interwoven with state, crown, and public life—the Church of England remains a vital participant in national conversations about identity, memory, and belonging.
Drawing on his journey as one of the first British-born Chinese priests in the Anglican Church, Mark reflects on how inclusion can be sustained—or quietly lost—over time. From discovering Li Tim‑Oi, the first woman ordained in the Anglican Communion, to the restoration of his ancestral name at ordination, he shows how progress fades when stories are not institutionally embedded.
The session highlights the importance of permanent markers—memorials, academic scholarship, and liturgical recognition. Referencing his contribution to Chinese Heritage and British Christianity (SCM Press) and efforts to establish a memorial at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Mark invites participants to consider how organisations can move from symbolic gestures to lasting inclusion.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

About the facilitator
Revd Mark Nam is a British-born Chinese vicar in the Church of England, writer, and national advocate for Global Majority Heritage inclusion. He is the founder of The Teahouse, a network raising the profile and participation of Chinese-heritage communities and serves as UKME Dean for the Diocese of Oxford. A commissioned portrait of Mark featured in a six-month exhibition at the British Library exploring British Chinese communities and culture.
Mark writes academically, including a chapter in Chinese Heritage and British Christianity (SCM Press), lectures at Anglican theological colleges, and has contributed to an upcoming volume on artificial intelligence and theology with Bloomsbury(2026). He is a regular speaker on BBC local radio and faith-based media, a trustee of SPCK Publishing and the Li Tim-Oi Foundation, a recipient of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Award in 2023, and a 2025 National Diversity Awards winner. Mark tweets @marknam.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

Beyond Awareness: Creating Truly Autistic-Friendly Workplaces
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Jess Garner | Grove
In this session, Jess will introduce the most up-to-date, affirming autism theory, covering key areas such as Monotropism, the Double Empathy Problem, sensory processing, communication, and social interaction.
She will bring this theory to life by exploring its relevance in real workplace contexts. Together, you’ll consider the barriers Autistic staff may encounter and practical ways to build environments that are friendly, accessible and genuinely supportive — workplaces where Autistic colleagues can feel happier, more understood, and able to thrive.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

About the facilitator
Jess is a late-identified Autistic ADHDer, a mum to two neurodivergent children with very different support needs, and a former secondary school teacher. She now leads GROVE, an Autistic-staffed online organisation that supports Autistic young people.
She holds a Masters in Autism (Distinction), where her academic work explored themes such as community connection, developing self-understanding, and nurturing positive identity. Her studies culminated in a unique research project centred on young people’s experiences of joy.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!
Learn more about GROVE:
https://linktr.ee/gr0ve.org

Neurodiversity and Hormones
2026-03-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Dr Alice Siberry
Overview: This informative and engaging webinar will introduce attendees to the foundations of neurodiversity and will focus on understanding how hormones interact with different neurotypes.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!
Key content areas:
01. What is Neurodiversity?
We will begin with a broad definition of neurodiversity and outline some commonly recognised diagnosable neurodivergent differences.
02. The Role of Hormones
A central part of the session will examine how hormones influence the brain, especially in neurodivergent people. Topics will include: menstrual cycles and ovulation, puberty, pregnancy and menopause, post-natal depression and Premenstrual Dysphoria Disorder (PMDD). This webinar will also discuss how hormonal fluctuations affect men’s cognitive functions, emotional regulation and behaviour.
03. Best practice for support and inclusion
While hormonal fluctuations are part of the human experience, the webinar will share best practices for supporting people who may face compounded challenges due to neurodivergence and hormonal shifts. This includes workplace strategies and practical adjustments.
Language in this webinar will be clear, direct and rooted in scientific accuracy. We will be talking frankly about bodies and biology.
We do use gender-neutral language to ensure inclusivity. This includes recognising that people of all genders experience hormonal changes and neurodivergence. As such, we will avoid gendered assumptions, particularly related to issues like menstruation and pregnancy.
Some topics in this session include sensitive content related to mental health.
About Facilitator: Dr Alice Siberry
Alice received her PhD in Criminology and Law from the University of Sheffield in July 2021. She also holds a first-class degree in Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring and an MSc Psychology degree.
Throughout her studies, Alice continued to gain experience in the Criminal Justice sector and the neurodiversity sector. She has worked with North and West Yorkshire Police, and the Independent Office of Police Conduct. She also lectured at the University of Sheffield and York St John University, where she worked primarily with neurodivergent students.
Alice is a Specialist Criminal Justice Neurodiversity Consultant at Creased Puddle. Continuing her personal and professional passion for neurodiversity, she delivers training and consultancy to a wide range of businesses and organisations, including police organisations. Alice is also highly experienced in managing the most complex and high-profile Workplace Needs Assessments across the Criminal Justice sector.
As Academic Lead, she bridges academic research with practical applications, ensuring innovative and evidence-informed approaches to neurodiversity in the workplace. She also collaborates with universities on consultancy research projects, providing tailored solutions informed by her academic and practical experience.
Alice is also a Research Affiliate with the ESRC Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre and in recognition of her research contributions, she was awarded the Translational Fellowship in 2024 to investigate Counter Terrorism practitioners’ perspectives of neurodivergent people and their vulnerability to radicalisation by online algorithms. This fellowship supports her ongoing research into neurodiversity, particularly within policing. Her first book, “Diversity, Difference or Disorder: Neurodiversity in British Policing”, is currently in development and will be published in early 2026.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

ADHD Babes: The Vital Work We Do
2026-04-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Vivienne Isebor | ADHD Babes
ADHD Babes – An introduction to a 100% equity-led community focused approach to disability justice. We will explore who we are as an organisation, why we started and how we created an international culturally-sensitive approach to neuro-inclusive care.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

About the facilitator
Vivienne Isebor is an award winning Creative Social Entrepreneur & Womanist, blending community activism, advocacy, psychology, and the arts to drive social change. She is the founder of ADHD Babes, the UK’s only community organisation dedicated to supporting Black women and non-binary people with ADHD, and a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology from UCL.
Beyond her advocacy and psychological work, Vivienne is a combined performing artist, incorporating storytelling, music, poetry, spoken word, and performance to create immersive, community-driven experiences. Through her initiative love&music, she organises and facilitates events and creative workshops that foster connection, self-expression, and healing. Her work consistently centres on uplifting marginalised voices, using both clinical expertise and artistic expression to build safer, inclusive spaces.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

The Double Rainbow - Intersecting Identities
2026-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Webinar
Facilitated by Charlie Hart — AKA Ausome Charlie
Many neurodivergent people are also LGBTQIA+ yet workplace inclusion often addresses these identities separately. This session explores this ‘Double Rainbow’ intersection — combining research, lived experience, and practical inclusion strategies.
Participants will:

Understand the link between neurodivergence and LGBTQIA+ identities
Explore minority stress, and the impact of intersecting marginalised identities
Learn practical inclusion and allyship strategies
Gain insights into creating psychologically safe, neuro-inclusive environments

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!

About the facilitator
Charlie Hart — also known as Ausome Charlie — is an autistic and ADHD professional speaker on inclusion, with a 20-year background in HR Analytics. Charlie specialises in neuro-inclusion at work, intersecting identities, psychological safety, and translating lived experience into practical, evidence-based inclusion strategies.
Drawing on her lived experience as a late-diagnosed autistic, bi/pan, and gender non-conforming woman, Charlie speaks candidly about identity, minority stress, and community power. Her work helps organisations move beyond tokenism, to meaningful inclusion.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE!
