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National Inclusion Week is an essential celebration of diversity, promoting the importance of equality in the workplace. With understanding and acceptance, a more inclusive society will allow everyone to be the best versions of themselves, empowering minority groups to share their unique and valuable perspectives.
The week will highlight areas of improvement for companies across the globe, so find out how to prepare for National Inclusion Week 2021 below.
What is National Inclusion Week?
Drawing attention to inequalities in the workplace, National Inclusion Week provides actionable strategies for inclusion and better diversity. Event organisers arm companies with the knowledge needed to make their employees feel safe and included, dismantling the biases still active in British industries.
2021's theme is #UnitedForInclusion. In the hopes of encouraging connectivity between people, organisations and businesses, the theme encourages unity in the face of discrimination. National Inclusion Week continues to encourage people everywhere, from the general public to business leaders, to make room for diversity in their professional and personal lives.
When is National Inclusion Week 2021?
In 2021, National Inclusion Week is running from the 27th of September to the 3rd of October. Over the seven days, businesses are encouraged to celebrate inclusion in all forms to create a more diverse workplace.
Why is National Inclusion Week Important?
Though we as a society have made great strides towards inclusion, we still have a long way to go. With the millennial and Gen Z generations reportedly being the most diverse in history, it is within a business’s best interest to improve the level of inclusion in their workplace. Diverse companies are considered 1.7 times more likely to be innovative, while a more united workplace outperforms individual decision-makers by 87%.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group even suggests that inclusive companies make more money, with diverse management achieve a 19% higher revenue than their counterparts. National Inclusion Week is dedicated to improving diversity and inclusion standards to leave workplace inequality in the past.
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Speakers to Book for National Inclusion Week 2021
One of the best ways to improve the level of inclusion in your workplace is to book a diversity and inclusion speaker. These resident experts have personally experienced the importance of acceptance and can convey to corporate audiences how diversity can lead to better decision making and innovation.
Mark Foster
Widely considered to be one of the greatest swimmers ever to come from Team GB, Mark Foster has since carved a respectable media career. Mark’s influential decision to come out as gay following his retirement made waves for the LGBT+ community. As a speaker, Mark now discusses his experience of elite sport and how hiding his sexuality damaged his mental health.
Inga Beale
When Inga Beale became the first female CEO of Lloyd’s of London, a staggering achievement considering their 328-year history of solely male business leaders, she made corporate history. An openly bisexual businesswoman, Inga is dismantling stereotypes with every speech on diversity and inclusion she gives. Whether discussing gender inequality or the LGBT+ community, her positive influence ignites her corporate audience’s appreciation of inclusion.
Asif Sadiq
As Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging for the Telegraph Media Group, Asif Sadiq holds the publication to a high standard, enforcing the level of acceptance required in a diverse workforce. With over 15 years of experience, he has witnessed first-hand the evolution of inclusion in British businesses and earned several awards for his influential work, including the Asian Professional Award.
Shola Kaye
Shola Kaye is a leading voice in the diversity, inclusion and equality space. Through her award-winning services, she has worked with leading companies across the globe to transform their workplace culture and instil a sense of belonging in their employees. Shola specialises in empathy and wellbeing, her inclusion speeches maintain the emotional benefits of a connected, united corporate team.
Piers Linney
Listed in the 2018 Top 100 BAME Leaders in Business list, Piers Linney is an industry force to be reckoned with. His inspiring and empowering work has paved the way for minority ethnic communities, with his success proving to many that our differences should not dictate our likelihood of success. As a Non-Executive Director of The British Business Bank and Dragon’s Den investor, Piers is an authority on both corporate growth and diversity.
Akala
BAFTA award-winning hip hop artist, poet, historian and diversity speaker, Akala continues to reach thousands through his many forms of influence. He is a firm advocate for inclusion and has used his platform to influence people from all backgrounds – from Shakespeare enthusiasts to MTV regulars, and more. An event featuring Akala is sure to resonate with audiences, teaching them the power of diversity in art, politics and business.
Charlie Martin
Charlie Martin, better known as the first transgender professional motorsports racer, is a pioneer of inclusion in the male-dominated sport. As an LGBT+ speaker, she shares her incredible story with audiences across the world, opening their eyes to a unique, inspiring perspective. The discrimination that Charlie has faced sends a clear message, inclusion and diversity must be achieved.
Martine Wright
Motivational speaker, Martine Wright, is a formidable force on the sitting volleyball court. Following the 7/7 bombings, where she sat only three feet from the suicide bomber, Martine lost both of her legs and a staggering amount of blood. She is now Captain of the British Paralympic sitting volleyball team, a testament to her grit and determination.
Kate Richardson-Walsh
Kate Richardson-Walsh, winner of the Hockey Writers Cup UK Player of the Year twice, is a Team GB hockey gold medalist. With 375 caps to her name, she has overcome injuries and discrimination to rise to the top. Alongside her wife, Helen, the pair became the first same-sex married couple to both win Olympic medals, a staggering feat for the LGBT+ community.
Simon Callow
As an active voice in the fight for LGBT+ rights, and a celebrated member of the community, Simon Callow has worked tirelessly to improve inclusivity for different groups of people. One of the first openly gay actors announced through his novel Being an Actor, Simon has since been named one of the 2007 Most Influential Gay Men & Women in the UK.
Gareth Thomas
Rugby star and LGBT+ advocate, Gareth Thomas was described as “courageous as ever” when he announced that he was not just gay but living with HIV. The award-winning inclusion speaker uses his story to inspire change, dismantling the stigma surrounding HIV to improve the quality of life for the LGBT+ community. His story was broadcast in the enlightening documentary, Gareth Thomas: HIV and me.
Victoria Pendleton
Previously invited to the 2014 Conservative Party Conference and Clinique’s 2016 female empowerment campaign, Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton is changing the way athletes are viewed. As an advocate for gender inclusivity, she is a role model to future female Olympians, a core motivation that drives her diversity presentations. Victoria’s success is a testament to unlimited female potential.
John Amaechi
An inductee of the UK Basketball Hall of Fame, John Amaechi combines performance sport with his PhD in Psychology, to advocate for the power of physical activity on wellbeing. Widely considered to be “one of the world’s most high-profile gay athletes”, he uses his elite status to promote acceptance, understanding and inclusion for the LGBT+ community.
Belinda Parmar
Belinda Parmar is a corporate activist and campaigner best known as the CEO of The Empathy Business. She specialises in gender diversity, particularly in such STEM industries as technology, via her Little Miss Geek campaign. When booked for events, Belinda is guaranteed to empower female audiences to shatter glass ceilings in their own industries.
Perrine Farque
To boost employee engagement and performance, Perrine Farque invests in workplace diversity. Her public speeches focus on the power of inclusion, and how business leaders can cultivate a connective culture of belonging. She has extensive experience in business - as a speaker, Perrine relates her personal journey to corporate audiences.
Gina Buckney
Gina Buckney is the mastermind behind 'Your People Are Your Power', a campaign that encourages business owners to value the power of workplace inclusion. When employees feel respected and represented, they are more likely to thrive among their peers, so Gina's speeches teach corporate audiences how to tackle unconscious bias and prejudice in the workplace.
Ayo Sokale
Listed in the Top 50 Women in Engineering Under 35, Ayo Sokale is a pioneer of gender representation in STEM. She is an environmental leader and inclusion expert, making Ayo the ideal speaker for a wide range of events. She advises corporate audiences on workplace inclusion, teaching them how to navigate a male-dominated profession with confidence.
Book a Diversity & Inclusion Speaker
To book one of the diversity and inclusion speakers featured in this post, or any of the other empowering and inspiring figures on our site, simply contact us today by filling in our online contact form or by calling a booking agent directly on 0207 1010 553.
