Diversity and Inclusion at Forward Action

We want Forward Action to be a place of belonging - where everyone feels seen, heard and empowered to take up space. We want to lead the sector in how we celebrate the diversity and complexity of all people - in who we hire, the work we do, and how we do it.

Why?

We believe all organisations have a moral obligation to help address the structural and systemic inequalities in our society. And, as a mission-led organisation that exists to make the world a better place, that matters even more to us as we want to embody the progressive change we’re aiming to achieve.

Not only that, but we know that with a diverse team and an inclusive working environment, we can make better decisions, produce higher quality work, and ultimately have more impact.

Accountability

This document is owned by the Diversity and Inclusion working group. The co-Executive Director sits on the working group and is ultimately responsible for delivering on this vision. Any employee can become a member of the working group and membership rotates every six months.

How will we achieve our strategic vision?

People

Our strategy
  • We will recruit and nurture a team that represents the places we live and work.
  • We will champion the people and perspectives of those with the lived experience of our charity partners’ causes.
  • Our long term aim is to have a team that matches the diversity of London and the rest of the UK by April 2026, weighted to how our team is distributed across the country. We’ll prioritise the following characteristics where the team is currently under-represented: disability, race/ethnicity and socio-economic background.
Workstreams for achieving that strategy
  • Recruitment and hiring
  • Inclusive retention
  • Internal inclusivity communication and training

 

Partners & products

Our strategy
  • We will only work with organisations that share our values and ensure that the products we create with partners reflect those values fully.
Workstreams for achieving that strategy
  • Using the values alignment process
  • Make sure our products and output are inclusive and accessible
Current goals
  • Our partner interactions and work meet relevant accessibility standards.

Pioneers

Our strategy
  • We will pave a new way of working in a sector with a long-standing history of lacking diversity and fostering exclusion.
Workstreams for achieving that strategy
  • Understanding where we can have an impact on diversity and inclusion within the sector
  • External communication about our Diversity and Inclusion work
Current goals
  • We produce a report or strategy on how we can work with the sector to achieve progress on Diversity and Inclusion.

Philosophy

Our approach
  • We will be data-led in how we plan and implement our goals, and measure our success, with a robust process for review and accountability.
  • We acknowledge this is an ongoing journey with no end point. We’ll set goals and work to achieve them, but remain open to learning and changing direction along the way.
Workstreams for achieving that strategy
  • Communication about our Diversity and Inclusion work
  • Internal accountability