Race Equality Week 2025 took place from 3rd- 9th February. This year's theme is #EveryActionCounts, emphasising the importance of individual and collective actions in promoting race equality.
Race Equality Week provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on our core values and take meaningful steps towards a more inclusive workplace:
- Make a Positive Difference: We’re proud to make a positive difference to the businesses, communities, our colleagues, and individuals that we work with:
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- During Race Equality Week, let's focus on actions that contribute to a more equitable environment for everyone.
- During Race Equality Week, let's focus on actions that contribute to a more equitable environment for everyone.
- Stronger Together: We achieve more by working together. Collaboration and unity are key to driving change:
- Let's come together to support and uplift each other, fostering a culture of inclusivity
- Let's come together to support and uplift each other, fostering a culture of inclusivity
- Empower People: We encourage ambition and challenge assumptions:
- Empowering our colleagues to speak up and take action against racial inequality is crucial. Let's create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
- Empowering our colleagues to speak up and take action against racial inequality is crucial. Let's create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
- Do the Right Thing: Integrity and ethical behaviour are at the heart of our actions:
- Let's commit to doing the right thing by addressing and challenging racial biases and discrimination.
- Let's commit to doing the right thing by addressing and challenging racial biases and discrimination.
- Build on Success: We continuously strive to improve and build on our successes:
- Let's discuss our achievements in promoting race equality and identify areas where we can do even better.
During Race Equality Week we also marked Time to Talk Day, so we thought it would be a good opportunity for our Embrace EDI Network and the Health & Wellbeing EDI Network to take an intersectional approach by facilitating a live Time to Talk session at 11am on Thursday 6th February, to discuss ‘actions that count’ in improving racial equity and the wellbeing of all our colleagues, including those from diverse ethnic communities. During the session, attendees heard more about our ongoing Dignity at Work campaign activities and our latest EDI statistics.
The session was introduced by Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester and SMT Sponsor of the EmbRace EDI Network, and delivered by Cheryl Madden, Organisational Development and Learning Consultant and Chair of the Health & Wellbeing EDI Network, and Mysha Williams, EDI Manager and Chair of the EmbRace Network.
If you missed the session, you can watch the recording below.
Resources
In addition to the live webinar - we have collated a series of daily resources for colleagues to develop their knowledge and increase understanding of the key concepts of Racial Equity. Each day features a video and additional documents for colleagues to download and work through.
- Race Equality Matters resources: for managers and colleagues looking for an introduction to key concepts of Racial Equity in bitesize activities to be completed on each day of Race Equality Week.
- Dr. Tammy's resources: for those with an intermediate to advanced understanding of racial equity and colleagues who have completed the Cultural Confidence, Understanding Your Biases and Allyship Training. Includes videos, worksheets and reflective practice that will build on knowledge, provide self-care tips and evidence an understanding of Trauma Theory and Race Equity.
These resources go beyond Race Equality Week and can be completed individually or incorporated into team events or activities to encourage discussion and increased understanding.
Introduction
Day 1 - Understanding Trauma
Day 2 - Defining Racial Trauma
Day 3 - Racial Trauma at Work
- Download the Racial Trauma at Work information sheet >
- Download the activity guide and quiz (with answers) >
Day 4 - Self-Care for Victims of Racial Trauma
- Download the Self-Care for Victims of Racial Trauma information sheet >
- Download the self-care worksheet >
Day 5 - Allyship in Action
First Aid ToolKit
Steps to take when you’re impacted by bias or microaggressions:
1. Pause and breathe:
- Take a moment to ground yourself with a deep-breathing exercise:
- Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for six counts.
2. Acknowledge your feelings:
- Label your emotions: “I feel hurt, frustrated, or dismissed.”
3. Seek validation: what do you need at this moment?
- Consider sharing your experience with a trusted colleague, manager, or mentor who can listen without judgment.
4. Take action if safe to do so:
- Example: "When you said [specific comment], it felt dismissive. Can we talk about this?"
We encourage everyone to participate and contribute to making Race Equality Week and Time to Talk Day a success. Together, we can make a significant impact and demonstrate that #EveryActionCounts.
Thank you for your continued commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. Here are a few additional resources which support and highlight the importance of wellbeing in the workplace:
- Health and Wellbeing section of Our Working Way which includes various resources and tools including info on anxiety, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Mental Health First Aiders and Top Tips from the Samaritans
- 5 Ways to Wellbeing
- Wellness Action Plan toolkit and guidance
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss network activity, please contact the Embrace Network or the EDI mailbox.