Dear partners and supporters,
Barnardo’s vision, established by our founder Thomas Barnardo, is a world in which no child is turned away from the help they need.
Today we remain committed to working towards this vision, in partnership with others, and we will continue this work for as long as there are children in need of our support.
Since 2015, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion has been one of the key ‘enablers’ of our Strategy, and although we have made important progress, we know this must remain a central focus.
Rather than being a stand-alone programme, we are working to ensure that these principles are marbled through everything we do as a charity
Specifically, we have committed to:
• Ensure our vital services are accessible to and meet the needs of all children, young people, parents and carers who need our support, regardless of their background or circumstances;
• Work closely with partners to make sure children from all communities are identified and supported, to improve outcomes; and
• Deliver on our commitment to antiracism and to tackling discrimination of all kinds.
We will know we have made progress towards our ambitions when:
• We attract more diverse candidates to work at Barnardo’s, and we hire a more diverse workforce
• All colleagues feel comfortable being themselves and expressing themselves at work
• We celebrate and embrace difference
• We live up to our values and we feel confident challenging each other when we fall short
• Our services are fully accessible and inclusive for all the individuals and communities we serve
Alongside the actions we are taking internally, we will also continue to amplify the voice of children we support, and to draw on their experiences to help drive positive change.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan is an important and ambitious programme of work, and its success depends on support from the whole Barnardo’s family.
I hope you will join us on this journey.
Lynn Perry MBE (She/Her)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
