Shawbrook Bank embraces diversity and inclusion with month-long ‘Pride 2020’ celebrations
- Staff across the specialist bank found alternative ways amid the Covid-19 restrictions to promote diversity and inclusion
- The month-long celebrations involved quizzes, bake offs, music & cocktail evenings
- The campaign also helped to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ charities across the UK
- Shawbrook’s Pride 2020 was rounded off with a special ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ video conference presentation by Chico Chakravorty, Founder of Doing Diversity Differently
NEWS RELEASE: 02/07/20
Staff and management at Shawbrook Bank embraced diversity and inclusion throughout the month of June with a series of lockdown-enforced activities to mark ‘Pride 2020’.
The specialist lenderfound alternative ways to celebrate Pride amid the UK-wide Covid-19 restrictions by hosting a series of special events to mark the festivities and raise awareness.
As ‘Pride 2020’ marches and events scheduled for cities across the UK succumbed to Coronavirus, Shawbrook’s staff came together to launch its ‘Pride For Everyone’ employee led network – organising a series of events for the bank’s 800+ staff to get involved.
Hugh Fitzpatrick, Shawbrook’s Chief Risk Officer, who worked closely with colleagues to launch the bank’s Diversity & Inclusion network, said: “I am delighted to work for such a progressive and modern organisation which is committed to becoming one of the best places to work in the UK.
“It is crucial for the success of the business that we not only embrace diversity and inclusion and support events such as Pride, but also continue to educate ourselves regularly moving forward.
“Supporting diversity and inclusion activities and campaigns encourages an open culture and creates a workforce where people can feel relaxed, comfortable and safe in their own bodies.
“We know we are not the finished article, but we are committed to making Shawbrook a workplace for everyone and I am delighted that so many of our staff were involved in helping with our Pride activities this year.”
As part of Shawbrook’s festivities – and when its original plans to host Pride events across its UK offices had to be cancelled – the bank’s ‘Pride Champions’ working group produced a number of ideas to mark Pride 2020 while working remotely.
It marked the beginning of an employee-driven and management supported LGBTQ+ network to come together to provide mutual support and raise awareness while promoting Shawbrook as a diverse, safe and inclusive organisation.
The group’s activities included quizzes, a Pride ‘bake off’ and cocktail making competitions with the month-long schedule rounded off with a ‘lunch-and-learn’ event on Friday, June 26th.
Hosted by keynote speaker Chico Chakravorty, Founder of ‘Doing Diversity Differently’, the event covered the importance of diversity and belonging within the workplace, and how businesses can benefit from the power of diversity.
Shawbrook also raised awareness of several charities serving the LGBTQ+ community throughout the month of June in the form of ‘Mermaids’, ‘MindOut’ and ‘The Albert Kennedy Trust’.
Debbie Griffin, Group HR Director at Shawbrook and a member of Shawbrook’s ‘Pride for Everyone’ working group, said: “As a specialist bank our corporate motto is ‘Proudly Different’ – but we wanted to show our customers and partners, as well as our colleagues, that our motto stands for a whole lot more than our standing as a specialist player in the industry.
“Shawbrook is a great place to work that is working hard to be inclusive to all. This is something we are very proud of and deserves to be celebrated both in recognition of Pride month and throughout the year.
“I am delighted with the activities that took place at Shawbrook during the month and the levels of participation and support we received from across the bank. It makes me extremely proud to work for such a progressive and inclusive company.”
*****ends*****
Joe O'Brien
Corporate Communications and PR Manager
01277897488 OR 07585104961
joseph.o'brien@shawbrook.co.uk
About Shawbrook Bank
Shawbrook is a specialist UK savings and lending bank founded in 2011 to serve the needs of SMEs and individuals in the UK with a range of lending and saving products. We are a growing UK specialist bank that challenges the conventional approach of the mainstream banks, with our thoughtful and good-sense approach to the way we do business.
