Black History Month
October is Black History Month and many have welcomed this year’s theme of ‘reclaiming narratives.’ Leadership 2025 have been thinking about narratives and their role in how we understand ethnic diversity and inclusion in the sector and our communities. Exploring and challenging narratives is a key part of our research and plans as well as our reflections on this year and next. This year’s Black History Month invites us to revisit current and historical narratives in our sector and society, repositioning and championing Black communities and voices within them. In so doing, we hope that they may be reclaimed and celebrated.
As part of the month, we spoke at the National Housing Federation’s session on ethnic diversity in the sector, looking at the lack of diversity of leadership and the many reasons this must be an ethical and strategic priority. We also shared some of our priorities and projects aiming to address this gap, some of which are detailed below. The session was highly positive and included compelling case studies in making real and tangible progress in ethnic diversity and inclusion.
We have also spoken with some of our funders about what they have been doing to celebrate the month and consider its theme of ‘reclaiming narratives.’ Here are how four have chosen to mark it:
Riverside:
Riverside are posting weekly videos on key messages from one of their Executive Directors and Leadership 2025 alumnus, Jehan Weerasinghe. A brief overview of each week can be found below:
Week 1: Refreshing Narratives – focusing on black history and culture. Jehan shares insight into some inspirational people from history.
Week 2: Share and Shape “You share so we can shape your colleague experience” – this is an organisational campaign around the importance of sharing data, such as protected characteristics, so that these may be included in Riverside’s Ethnicity pay gap report and to help shape the experience of ethnically diverse colleagues in Riverside.
Week 3 : Empower Promotion – focuses on the work of Empower, Riverside’s ethnically diverse colleague group of which Jehan is the executive sponsor, and what they do across the business
Week 4 : Spotlight on Riverside’s Boost Plan – this talks about Riverside’s Ethnically Diverse talent plan which focuses on 3 key themes:
- Ensuring ethnically diverse colleagues have a positive experience at Riverside
- Help to attract and retain ethnically diverse talent
- Supporting ethnically diverse colleagues to progress at Riverside
Curo:
For this year’s Black History Month, Marianne Rawlins interviewed Ras Benji, a historian at Fairfield House, about the time Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie spent there in exile from Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930s. Curo owns some of land where Fairfield House is located.
The interview was a brilliant opportunity to help colleagues and customers learn more about an important historic Black leader and his links to Bath.
Here’s a link to the article and a mini-documentary they have made: https://www.curo-group.co.uk/news/news-stories/haile-selassie-fairfield-house-bath/
Sovereign Network Group:
SNG are having a ‘Let’s Talk About’ special session for Black History Month with Alicia Richardson. The topic is “Amplifying Underrepresented Voices”. The event will take place in Sovereign House and will be live streamed to all staff. Alicia has become known for her efforts in helping to empower underrepresented talent in creative, tech and marketing industries and has worked with companies like ASOS.
To further celebrate Black History Month, SNG are also hearing from colleagues across the organisation who are giving testimony to their cultural heritage, talking about subjects such as name origin and their pronunciation, different cuisines and other elements that define their individuality and cultural background. There will also be cook-alongs as part of the celebrations.
Sanctuary:
To celebrate Black History Month 2024, Sanctuary’s Race Equality Network (REN) hosted a drop-in session on this year’s theme of reclaiming narratives. They invited staff to come along and share their stories. The REN committee are also posting weekly blogs and you can follow the conversation by using the hashtag #ReclaimingNarratives. The network are also hosting a weekly quiz on Teams every Friday this month with an opportunity to win a prize.
Finally, a special Sip & Colour lunchtime session is being hosted in a lecture theatre at Sanctuary House in Worcester on Wednesday 30th October to wrap up Black History Month celebrations. This offers the chance to engage in vibrant conversations, colour beautiful, intricate patterns from the book – Africa: History and Cultures in Colour and sample a variety of African and Caribbean drinks. The aim is for a fun, creative way to connect and celebrate culture. Sanctuary are encouraging all business areas and locations to get involved by hosting their own Sip & Colour sessions to keep the celebrations going.
Recruitment of a New Chair
Olu Olanrewaju is stepping down as interim Chair of Leadership 2025. Olu was integral in the creation of Leadership 2025 and has served in this role since Leadership 2025 became a charity. We wish Olu all the best in his new ventures and would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution in Leadership 2025’s genesis and its development into a charity and a movement.
Leadership 2025 are now recruiting for a new Chair of the Board of Trustees. We look forward to working with a new Chair to lead us in this next and exciting phase of our work. There is still a little time left to apply. Please see the advertisement below.
Research Project
We are excited to have partnered with LSE to launch new and important research.
Leadership 2025: The story of ethnic diversity and inclusion in the housing sector.
This qualitative research project will explore the lived experience of ethnic minority leaders in housing. Its aim is to really understand their careers and experiences of progression in the sector. We would like to understand any barriers faced as well as what has been helpful or otherwise in overcoming and navigating these. The piece will also explore organisational perspectives, examining which initiatives have or haven’t worked, the barriers to success or implementation and how these might be best overcome. This will include a literary review of previous initiatives, including our own. The research will conclude with a knowledge exchange event for stakeholders and funders to really engage with findings and secure buy-in and impact. It will also offer an opportunity to sense-check recommendations for the sector. The research will offer illuminating insight into the last decade and culminate in supportive and practical recommendations for the sector. We want to bring some of the diversity data to life, understanding some of the individuals and stories behind it. Alongside practical recommendations, we will be able to capture and play back these stories to the sector and to boards to really inspire progress and meaningful collaboration.
If you or any colleagues would like to be involved in this research, please do get in touch. We will circulate further details within the next few weeks.
Serving Customers: Diversity Matters
Leadership 2025’s one-day conference
Speakers will include representatives from some of the sector’s top think-tanks, housing associations and organisations across the country, who will share their expertise and practices. The event is for sector leaders to come together to affect real progress. It will examine the critical importance of ethnic diversity and inclusion at the top levels in meeting customer need. We will give particular consideration to this issue in the context of the sectors’ social purpose and history, the events of this year and plans and ambitions for the future. There will be a Q and A session allowing for deeper insight into these topics followed by some festive networking for all attendees. Invitations for what will be an illuminating and inspiring afternoon will be issued soon and we hope you can join us.
2025
Leadership 2025 was not only a name but a target for achieving true and lasting ethnic diversity and inclusion in housing’s leadership. It is important as we head into next year for us to consider the last decade, our successes and where some of our hopes and ambitions for the sector have not been met. We want to examine why this is and critically, what can be done to affect change. The research piece will feed into that reflection and inform both the next iteration of the Leadership 2025 programme and our cultural impact work.
When considering our name, it was important for us not to simply become Leadership 2035 or another distant date. We wanted to be sure we were not diluting our message or weakening our resolve. We remain committed to our Vision of an ethnically diverse and inclusive housing leadership. As such, we have decided to keep our name to serve as a reminder for all of us that this change is now certainly an overdue one. It is also a signal of our determination to work towards a time, as soon as possible, where we are no longer required and can cease to exist.
Thank you
None of this work would be possible without our supporters to whom we offer enormous thanks. We look forward to continuing our partnerships and making a real change in the ethnic diversity of housing’s leadership.
To join us and be part of the movement, please get in touch.
Contact:
We welcome conversation and collaboration and are looking to extend our supporter base.
If there is anything you would like to ask or discuss or to donate, please get in touch. Thank you.