Race Network
The Race Network aims to promote racial equality, celebrate cultural diversity and address issues related to racial discrimination within our organisation. Our goal is to create a supportive space where individuals from all ethnicity and backgrounds can share experiences, and advocate for equity.
The purpose and goals of this network is to:
- Promote the latest information on Racial Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Regularly update and promote content relevant to raising awareness on racial EDI information. Review and recommend improvements to website content, online resources, and BIOS policies to enhance accessibility and visibility of racial EDI topics.
- Provide Support and Resources for BIOS Members and Leadership: Offer guidance and resources to BIOS members and leadership, fostering a supportive community that promotes best practices in inclusion, accessibility, and racial equity.
- Raise Awareness Through Inclusive Communication Channels: Utilise diverse communication platforms to educate and inform audiences on racial EDI topics. Highlight key events from the EDI calendar, collect feedback on challenges faced, and share success stories to inspire change.
- Establish Measures to Track Impact of the Diversity Network: Establish metrics to assess the network’s impact, ensuring continuous improvement and accountability in our efforts to create an inclusive environment.
Network activities will include:
- Meetings: Hold regular meetings to bring together Diversity Champions and Leads, discussing diversity initiatives based on a pre-set agenda. Progress is to be recorded, and achievements are to be reported against agreed actions and diversity objectives.
- Awareness Campaigns: Plan and execute campaigns to highlight important EDI calendar dates relevant to the Diversity Network, such as Black History month, South Asian Heritage Month etc.
- Ideas and Initiatives: Create a safe open space for Diversity network members to discuss and coordinate new ideas/ initiatives to tackle known barriers, address current and emerging challenges, and develop practical solutions that promote greater accessibility to diversity values.
- Success Stories: Share inspiring stories of individuals within the network to motivate others, such as stories of EDI ‘best practice’ that could be replicated in other Orthoptic departments.
- Resource and Communication Management: Stay informed on relevant topics to keep communications and resources up to date, including website content, online resources, diversity calendars, social media, and email communications.
- Support: Collaborate as a group to review newly reported issues or queries shared by BIOS members through the EDI Lead to provide targeted support from within the diversity network. Serve as an advisor to BIOS on upcoming communications, event planning, and other relevant initiatives.
- Reporting: Provide regular updates to the EDI Lead on progress toward key objectives, highlighting emerging challenges, the proactive steps being taken to address them, and success stories from within the diversity network.
Toolkit for Managing Diversity Meetings
- Agenda template and Action Log
- Report template
- EDI Calendar
- Faith Calendar
- Social Media examples
- BIOS templates
- Access to BIOS email address