Bronze award for University of Sunderland for its commitment to being inclusive to LGBTQ+ people at work

University of Sunderland has been awarded for its inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.
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The university received a bronze award from LGBTQ+ charity, Stonewall for being an inclusive employer for LGBTQ+ people.

For the last 20 years charity has been supporting employers to create welcoming workplaces for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people.

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As part of Stonewall’s Bring Yourself To Work campaign, the charity has awarded a series of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to organisations to celebrate their inclusion work, the University of Sunderland being one of them.

Justine Gillespie, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the University of SunderlandJustine Gillespie, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the University of Sunderland
Justine Gillespie, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the University of Sunderland

Justine Gillespie, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the University of Sunderland, said: “I am incredibly proud that the University has been recognised as a Stonewall Bronze Award holder.

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“This was particularly pleasing as it was our first submission to the index but also as the period that was surveyed was during lockdown.

“Inclusion is a core value at the University, and we are fully committed to creating an inclusive culture for our LGBTQ+ colleagues by working with our All Identities Included Staff Network (for LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies) to create an environment where people can bring their whole self to work.”

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Liz Ward, Director of Programmes at Stonewall, said: "Every single lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer person should be able to be themself at work.

"It’s fantastic that the University of Sunderland has gained the Bronze award for their efforts and commitment to creating an inclusive work environment, and we look forward to seeing and supporting the rest of their inclusion journey.”

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