Photograph by Colin Mearns
The fifth annual Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Awards in association with Arnold Clark took place last night on The Herald’s Virtual Awards Room platform and after weeks of anticipation the winners were finally revealed.
Amongst those receiving accolades were The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety, which won the Diversity In The Third Sector category, sponsored by BAE Systems and the Active Life Club, which won the Diversity in Sport category.
For Carol Henry, Group People Director, Arnold Clark, which was the title sponsor for the event, the evening was a fitting tribute to those many individuals and organisations that are making a difference through their pro-active approach to inclusivity and she said: “The Herald and GenAnalytics Diversity Awards was a great celebration of the work that is being done across many organisations to make diversity and inclusion a central focus and I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of the winners. We wanted to support the awards as it’s a great opportunity for organisations to come together to share their ideas and be recognised for the valuable work they are doing. Picking up one of these awards is testament to the work that the winners are doing in their industries – work that will no doubt make a huge difference to the lives of their employees.’
There were congratulations too from Deepi Bhardwaj and Florence Ong of BAE Systems Embrace Employee Resource Group, whose company was sponsor of both the Diversity in the Third Sector and the Diversity In Education Awards.
Deepi, a skills and development coach and co-chair of BAE’s ‘Embrace’ initiative, an employee-driven group supporting cultural and ethnic diversity, said: “We really enjoyed the awards, it was a great way to showcase all the fantastic work organisations are doing in the Diversity and Inclusion space. We would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners and say ‘well done’ on their achievements.”
And Florence, BAE Systems Embrace Employee Resource Group, said: “We were delighted to be involved in such a prestigious event. We believe that championing themes relating to diversity and inclusion is crucial for our future as this will enable us to create a safe and inclusive society for all. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue making a positive impact across the sectors and Scotland.”
Fergus McMillan, Head of Equality and Diversity at Skills Development Scotland, sponsors of the ‘Diversity in the Public Sector’ category said: “I would like to congratulate all those recognised at The Herald and GenAnalytics Diversity Awards 2021. Their example represents the very best of what it means to be an inclusive organisation and they should be very proud of their achievements.
“The Diversity Awards are a perfect and rightly high-profile opportunity to celebrate the vital progress in this area and support our belief that inclusion builds stronger organisations while revitalising Scotland’s economy.”
And Paul Skovron, Managing Director, 3In Consulting, who were sponsors of the ‘Diversity Star Performer: 250 + employees ‘ award, which was won by ScotRail, said: “The awards ceremony was a fantastic diverse event highlighting the importance of recognising and rewarding both people and organisations for their hard work and determination to make Scotland a more inclusive society. Congratulations to all the winners who have been outstanding in their categories showing strong leadership and values.
“As a business that specialises in helping organisations succeed with diversity and inclusion it was great that the online experience made it more accessible and inclusive for people to participate in the awards. We were delighted to see how the finalists epitomised and embraced new ways of working to bring equity, wellbeing and belonging for all.
“3In consulting has been proud to sponsor the Diversity Awards in Scotland to recognise and celebrate diversity within the Scottish community. It is encouraging to see organisations demonstrating their inclusivity with collaborative and innovative cultures contributing to strong business growth and the growth of Scotland.”
2021 Winners:
DIVERSITY STAR PERFORMER: 1 – 250 employees
Sponsored by Arnold Clark
The Glenmorangie Company
DIVERSITY STAR PERFORMER: 250+ employees
Sponsored by 3IN CONSULTING
ScotRail
DIVERSITY IN SPORT
Active Life Club
DIVERSITY THROUGH EDUCATION
Sponsored by BAE Systems
West College Scotland, Digital Strategy
DIVERSITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Sponsored by Skills Development Scotland
Abertay University
DIVERSITY IN THE THIRD SECTOR
Sponsored by BAE Systems
The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety
DIVERSITY CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Arnold Clark
Ashurst – Winner
Deaf Action – Commendation
DIVERSITY HERO OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Diageo
Karen Wallace Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager – ScotRail – Winner
Khadija Mohammed, Senior Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland – Commendation