Introducing our new Communications Officer, Sally Hunter!

I am looking forward to working with The Diversity Forum as their Communications Officer. Change can never happen in isolation, and it is exciting to be working for an organisation that is at the centre of driving inclusivity within the social investment landscape. The Forum’s emphasis on building a collaborative relationship with the sector, sharing learnings and promoting accountability and support through signing up to their Manifesto 2.0 is a great space to work within. 

Ultimately, diversity is a strength that should be celebrated and this is something I am looking forward to bringing to my role as Communications Officer. I truly believe that communication works best when it is a two-way dialogue, sharing knowledge and learning from experiences outside of your own narrative and this will be a key focus in my work with the Diversity Forum. I am hoping to help build an engaged membership base, using social media to provide a forum for open discussion, and promoting the benefits of signing up to our Manifesto 2.0.

The necessity and value of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in both my personal and working life is an area that has become increasingly important in recent years. Having a family member who identifies as transgender has meant that I have needed to take a close look at myself and my interactions and work hard to establish what it actually means to be an ally. For me, that first step is through sharing information and learning about others’ lived experiences. I believe education is the cornerstone of understanding – it’s about putting that individual and their needs at the very centre of my decision-making.

However, in my understanding, this is only the first stage of embracing equality and diversity. As an ally, I think it is equally as important to consider the actions I take to actively engage within the context in which I operate. For me, it’s about taking that learning and using it to help shape an inclusive environment where diversity is embraced and embedded across all my thought processes – both personally and professionally. I believe inclusivity should be modelled around discussion and feedback, recognising and addressing systemic barriers and biases to ensure everyone has equal access and opportunity to succeed. For me, the focus should be on creating a culture of acceptance where all voices are given the space to be heard without fear of discrimination.

For me, it’s not just the talk but the walk that matters – I like to focus on outcomes and actionable ideas as this is what I believe will help instil positive societal change. One of the things I would love to introduce would be a regular podcast or video content that celebrates the diversity of our team and existing membership base – between them there is a wealth of knowledge, ideas and experiences that adds huge value to the discussion around equity, equality, diversity and inclusion.