BLOG: Understanding each other better during LGBT+ History Month

By Fran Goble, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at Metropolitan Thames Valley

  • 23 February 2021

Here at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) we are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We work collaboratively to educate, support and develop all of our diverse employees and the communities that we serve.

LGBT+ History Month and Race Equality Week have given us a fantastic opportunity to understand each other better. MTVH will continue to talk around the many overlapping personal attributes that make us who we are and we want to celebrate these and show the benefits that embracing difference brings.

We want every employee and every customer to feel comfortable enough to be their true self and are working tirelessly in the background to create an environment that encourages our employees to challenge non-inclusive behaviours and to be mindful of their own and other’s wellbeing.

Throughout the year we will be holding employee masterclasses and webinars around a variety of topics linked around notable dates and topical events The purpose of these is to educate and inform whilst giving an opportunity to network with colleagues and discuss in an open and supportive environment. We started 2021 with LGBT+ History Month talking about allyship and how having and being an ally is beneficial to both business and belonging, we aligned this with Race Equality Week to work across a mixture of diverse groups as allyship is all round.

In the coming months, we will involve, educate and inform employees in weekly discussion points on what is important to MTVH - whether that be our zero tolerance approach to any non-inclusive behaviour, ensuring employees and customers are kept safe, and highlighting wellbeing and what makes us a great place to work.