There’s a huge amount of information online about inclusion and the many areas it covers – often with so much detail that it can feel overwhelming, even when we approach it with the best of intentions.
At Action Hampshire, we pride ourselves on “the Action Hampshire way” – reaching underserved communities and facilitating community-led action. At the same time, we recognise that there’s always room for improvement. We are at the beginning of our inclusivity journey, which is why we’ve commissioned an EDI audit to help us understand where we are now and to shape a clear, practical action plan for the future.
This year’s National Inclusion Week theme, “Now is the Time”, couldn’t be more relevant.
In 2025, our focus is on reflection and sharing the first steps of our journey. By next year, our aim is for inclusion to be fully embedded in our culture – not as an add-on, but as a natural part of everything we do – and for us to be able to support others in our network to do the same.
Our plans for National Inclusion Week
To mark the week (15–21 September), we’ll be:
- Showcasing our story so far – with blogs from our EDI team and practical tips, such as how to write accessible communications
- Fostering intentional dialogue – including promoting our upcoming co-production workshops for VCSE organisations, designed to explore what inclusion looks like in practice.
- Equipping leaders with tools and strategies – through resources and top tips shared in a special Connect newsletter takeover, alongside a foreword from our Senior Leadership team.
- Energising our whole team around inclusivity – publishing our EDI vision and sharing personal reflections from staff on “Why inclusion matters to me…”
Looking ahead
For us, this is just the start. National Inclusion Week gives us a chance to pause, reflect, and share openly where we are now. But it doesn’t stop there – our commitment is to build inclusivity into the heart of Action Hampshire so that it shapes every decision we make, and every community we support.
Now is the time – and we’re ready to take action.
Do you have any top tips?
We would love to hear from you! Please email helena.kondziela@actionhampshire.org
