Mandeep Singh

Said the following about EDI Charter Working Group Team:

“I would like to nominate the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter Working Group team for the Diversity and Inclusion team Award. The Charter Working Group (CWG) comprises volunteers who dedicate their time, resources, and expertise to making the railway more diverse. The CWG is facilitated by the Women in Rail and the Railway Industry Association, and in the past year, it has gained real traction and made a positive impact on the operation of the railway. It has already collaborated with Women in Rail, Young Rail Professionals, Archway at Network Rail, and other industry groups to showcase some of the amazing Diversity work being carried out.

There are 13 individuals within the CWG, all from different areas of the railway: including consultants, TOCs, security, station managers, the Rail Delivery Group plus many more. This like-minded group of individuals are all working together to raise awareness of diversity issues in the railway in a positive, meaningful way and drive change for the future. The team is extremely committed, talented and proactive, and as a CWG they are a pleasure to share conversations, viewpoints, and ideas with. The CWG consists of founding and newly elected members, and seamlessly works to promote Diversity in the railway.

The Charter itself has had nearly 200 railway organisations sign up to receive dedicated EDI information and commit to a more diverse railway for tomorrow. The response from the industry has been fantastic and truly representative of the dedication and desire to ensure that the railway is as inclusive and welcoming as can be, for both employees and passengers.

As the railway aims to attract new technologies from other sectors and industries, the CWG gives tangible assistance in welcoming, inviting and retaining diverse talent. Regardless of different characteristics, the messaging of ‘Everyone is Welcome’ will be key in promoting but also living these ideals into tomorrow's railway. As the UK railway goes through a period of change, the CWG has already made good progress on discussing the EDI importance with the GBR team and is working closely with the appointed EDI leads to relay the sentiment and needs of the railway supply chain and beyond.

Through a series of presentations; guest speaker slots; hosting three EDI Charter workshops covering the topics of accessibility, leadership, and LGBTQ+ issues; online sessions; two rounds of ‘Coffee Roulette’; and the production of the first Annual Report, the work completed so far has been key in ensuring the railway uses this fantastic resource which is available to them. We are an industry that is diverse and proud of our achievements but can also do much more. The CWG is driving this improvement and is worth being recognised for its work.

Plans for the rest of 2022 include an event focused on men’s mental health and collaboration with the Great British Railways Transition Team. Next year, the CWG plans to continue its amazing progress and increase the number of signatories, so even more organisations can receive dedicated EDI resources to help embed Diversity and Inclusion into their workplaces.

Intuitive Interim & Executive Search are founding signatories to the EDI Charter. Nina commented “Intuitive have had great value from the EDI Charter since we became a signatory right at the start! The quarterly Committee Meetings are a great opportunity to hear what other colleagues in the industry are doing, as are the regular newsletters. Our whole team recently attended the Pride Event at RIA’s office, and each of us felt that we had learnt something different from each speaker.”

For me personally, the CWG is a great forum, filled with enthusiatic individuals who are all dedicated to making a difference and something I am proud to be associated with as Vice-Chair.“