elevate: grow Your Impact for Lasting Change
A 12-month programme of training, mentorship and coaching for Anti-Racism Leads bringing their lived experience to work
Why it matters?
Our work with organisations has shown us that too often, the people leading Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are under-supported and under-resourced. They do not always have the support, power or knowledge they need to be the impactful change-makers they want to be.
The real work of building anti-oppression workplaces involves transformation. Being the change-maker and being the difference in often mainly white, middle-class, hetero-normative, and non-disabled spaces makes this especially taxing.
The job has a dual focus. In part, it is about changing demographics, culture and services so that they are more fitting for 21st-century diverse Britain. To get there, we have to bring everyone with us and be capable of navigating organisations with much unlearning to do. We might still have work to do ourselves.
The need to navigate a lack of awareness, fragility or apathy amongst colleagues can drain energy. Dealing with power dynamics when wanting to speed up the pace of change is tough when you’re in the minority. Fielding resistance to accountability when good intentions don’t translate into impact can demotivate. Seeing colleagues still facing challenges with racism is upsetting. Being expected to have all the answers because of the colour of our skin creates pressure.
This programme is for you if you seek to make sustainable change, grow your impact and ensure your personal sustainability for the journey too.
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU? DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU? DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
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I’m so passionate about this work but I’m not convinced we are having an impact on the people who need it.
I know that our organisation is committed, but sometimes good intentions don’t translate into real change. It feels like there are blocks that stop this work from getting the resources, attention or prioritisation it needs and I don’t know how to best overcome them.
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I feel like I am on my own on this journey. There’s a lot to do and I don’t feel like I have the right support to get there.
I know the leadership is behind this, but sometimes it feels like I’ve got all the responsibility without any of the power. It’s hard when people think I have all the answers. I also need to learn, be inspired and find new ways to make steps forward.
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At times I struggle with the emotional labour it takes from me, which I know impacts upon my wellbeing.
Challenging the dominant culture gets tiring. I worry that I’m always the voice piping up, or sometimes I stay silent when I know I need to speak up. Constantly see my identity as being ‘a problem’ can wear you out. I want to be someone who has stronger boundaries.
The Future: How to Make Change That Counts
This programme will grow anti-racism leads into stronger, more confident and effective leaders, with the sustainable support system that change-makers need.
True ‘equity’ and ‘belonging’ is the work of organisational change. It is a journey that needs both structural and behavioural transformation. It requires us to have the right kind of leadership and culture in place to challenge the things that keep the non-diverse, exclusive status quo alive.
It’s so much more than having knowledge about the needs of Global Majority communities or getting recruitment efforts right. It’s about fundamentally building, together with our leadership, an equitable workplace that creates true belonging for all, with EDI seen as a shared responsibility.
Whether you focus on race equity alone, or as part of a wider EDI role, this work asks for many different hats – storyteller, influencer, disruptor, advocate, strategist, relationship builder, creative problem solver, truth-teller, collaborator, culture shaper, amplifier of underserved voices, skilled navigator of senior spaces. And vitally, as a radical self-carer who tends to their own sustainability.
This programme has been designed to help you:
Create a cross-sector community of EDI Leads
Work with Leadership in ways that grow your impact
Gain foundational skills for navigating EDI journeys
Grow knowledge of best practice
Solve EDI challenges collectively with peers
Find your voice and develop your influence
Find practices to help you give less and achieve more
What can I expect from the programme?
What can I expect from the programme?
What can I expect from the programme?
What can I expect from the programme? What can I expect from the programme? What can I expect from the programme?
What will I learn?
Change
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin
How to make real change in your organisation, with a strong culture to facilitate impact
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Diagnostic tools: Gain a deeper understanding of your organisational blocks and super-powers
Break through discomfort: How to get people away from defensiveness and towards accountability, normalising crucial conversations
Hold the context: Know your race equity story and how to use it to drive change
Positive disruption: Learn how to create new habits and practices to bring people on the journey
Unlocking power: Understanding your levers of power and how to navigate power at work
Impact
“As you enter positions of power and trust, dream a little before you think.” – Toni Morrison
How to grow your impact as a leader and influencer from an underserved community
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Self awareness: Understand your current impact and define your desired destination
Manage the energy: Learn how to manage pace and progress so that it can inspire and uplift
Navigate ignorance, apathy and fragility: How to work better with compassion, truth and personal safety
Set stronger boundaries: Learn how to manage workloads for work without an end point and better assert your needs
Nourish
“Caring for myself is not self indulgent, it's self preservation” – Audre Laude
How to support your wellbeing, build resilience and ensure personal sustainability
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Resource: Practice rest & replenishment to nourish you so you have the inner resources you need
Embody the change: Connect to what you seek on a deeper level so that you can embody the change in your body
Find the joy: Celebrate who you are and what you bring with a joyful honouring of your uniqueness.
Unlearn: Shake off the limitations oppression can put upon you and explore what growing without constraints can look like
Keep the why alive: Find your support anchors and sense of purpose, working with less conventional sources of wisdom
The most effective Race Equity leads are strongly supported by their organisation. We know that collaboration and partnership are key to this.
This programme is designed to support those leading the day-to-day work on anti-racism (and EDI). As part of that support, we request there be a senior sponsor from each organisation who participates at key moments. We believe this will have significant value for the sustainable change we passionately want to enable.
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Month 1:
We start with personalised coaching support to fully understand where you and your organisation are, what your hopes and aims are for your impact and what support is most needed to get you there. This will feed into the work we’ll do together and further shape the curriculum. We’ll discuss together the support you’ll get from your charity organisation and Sponsor so that what is learned will be translated back into the EDI work you do.
The whole cohort, up to 20 EDI and Anti-Racism Leads, will meet for a one-day in-person immersion to connect to the shared goals, challenges, and support needs, and to create our vision for impact for the work.
Months 2-11:
We’ll have monthly workshops focused on different themes delivered by your 3 facilitators. These will be interactive sessions with a mix of group and 121 coaching, teaching, and co-creating to give participants new soft and hard skills to support them in leading and supporting their charity EDI journey.
Month 12:
You’ll be working with your Sponsor to align on a set of individual and collective commitments to take forward, with a specific focus on addressing your unique set of issues and needs as individuals and as a whole organisation.
We’ll meet as a group in a final in-person workshop to share those commitments, discuss the ongoing role of this cohort, and share final reflections on your growth journey over the year.
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Share Hopes and Aspirations:
We’ll begin our journey with a group workshop with Sponsors from the sector, sharing together our perspectives on our EDI journey to date, exploring the ideal outcomes from this programme, and defining your role as an active supporter of the participants over the coming year and how you see that working.
Stay Connected to Insights:Throughout the programme, we’ll keep Senior Leaders informed with bi-monthly updates of themes and insights so that you can stay connected to the collective insights emerging from the cohort. There will be an opportunity to join us in Month 6 for an interim sharing session with cohort members discussing the impact so far, and the changes already being implemented in workplaces.
Elevating Impact of EDI:We’ll connect again towards the end of the programme, with a more structured Reflections and Commitments session with Sponsors and Participants presenting to the group as a pair, sharing how their organisational journey has evolved during the programme and the new commitments they are making individually and collectively as a result.
YOUR FACILITATOR
LETESIA GIBSON
I'm Letesia. I'm mixed race. My father is a mix of Black Jamaican and White British. My mother's family are White British. I'm proud of my heritage. I believe that we all play a role in creating and leading the change we want to see in our workplaces. We need to do better to create cultures of true belonging. I believe that self-awareness, genuine curiosity and great courage are the cornerstone skills for role modelling change. With this trio, we can begin to promote antiracist behaviour, step into true equality and become the equality role models we know we can be.
COURSE CO-FACILITATOR
Poonam dhuffer
Poonam is a Somatic coach, artist, creative facilitator and founder of YSM8, and part of the New Ways Collective.
She has delivered workshops, and talks, and has curated immersive experiences for global brands, cultural institutions, charities, and universities.
Poonam holds a nourishing cocoon to support individuals and teams to grow trust and build deeper connections, preserve boundaries and develop embodied practices.
She is also a mixed media artist and creative facilitator, who has nourished her own embodied practice, which has supported individuals and communities from minoritised groups to grow in confidence, feel the wisdom of their bodies, nurture their authentic creative expression, and trust their process of creating.
Her intention for this programme is to hold a gentle, nourishing space to enable participants to explore themes of slowness, creativity, boundaries, joy, and resilience, building embodied practices to support their well-being. She will bring a range of tools into the space from self-reflective facilitation and therapeutic art practices, to somatic explorations, to encourage a deeper understanding of self - supporting them to be more grounded, present, open and connected.
COURSE CO-FACILITATOR
MoNICA rose
Monica Rose is a certified life coach and mental fitness expert who goes beyond the conventional, incorporating holistic well-being into her guidance. Specialising in collaboration, consulting and leadership coaching for expansive projects, and burnout prevention, her proficiency extends to navigating intricate organisational structures.
Monica Rose's coaching approach is a catalyst for personal and professional growth, imparting practical skills to navigate the nuanced landscape of EDI leadership. By emphasising mental health and well-being, she not only equips people with the necessary skills to navigate challenges but also instils resilience for sustainable leadership.
As an Associate with New Ways, Monica plays a supportive role in shaping a new generation of leaders, contributing to both individual and organisational advancement. In a landscape where this work is a collective responsibility, Monica works to ensure that leaders are not only knowledgeable but also empowered to drive meaningful change and foster true diversity and belonging.
I’m interested, what next?
I’m interested, what next?
I’m interested, what next?
I’m interested, what next? I’m interested, what next? I’m interested, what next?
I’m interested. How do I apply?
You can contact us to discuss the course or get further information by emailing us here.
If you are ready to apply, the application form is here.
In selecting applicants to participate, we are especially keen to support people who:
Are already on an anti-racism or EDI journey as an organisation
Have a Race Equity or EDI lead that has full-time or part-time responsibility for this
Work in the charity sector, or are employed in a social enterprise
Has a sponsor who is prepared to be engaged with this process
How much does it cost?
The cost for each organisation is £3,000 incl. VAT
There is the possibility to pay in instalments
When will it take place?
The course starts in January of 2025