Meet Turn2us’ Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee
In August 2023, Turn2us formed our new Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) committee, led by our Head of EDIB, Thesia Kouloungou-Nkoula, and comprising of 16 members from across all levels of the organisation, including a member of the board of trustees.
Purpose
The purpose of the EDIB committee at Turn2us is to champion, advance and embed equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging within our organisation. The committee is a driving force, passionately advocating for a more inclusive and equitable environment, where everyone feels valued and empowered.
Its primary objective is to identify, address, and dismantle any barriers to EDIB across all our areas of internal culture. However, it is important to note that the committee is not accountable for progress on EDIB; everyone who works for or with Turn2us must adhere to our EDIB policy and promote and embed EDIB within their work.
What have we done so far?
To date, the committee has already been involved in a number of important pieces of work, for example:
The EDIB committee had its first meeting in September 2023, where members met and shared their motivations for joining the committee.
The committee attended an EDIB training session, provided by Koreo, in October 2023, with the aim of developing a shared understanding and language for EDIB in the context of Turn2us’ strategy, surfacing challenges and questions, and supporting connection and psychological safety across Turn2us.
The committee held a strategy design workshop in November 2023, with the aim of identifying priorities for Turn2us’ EDIB strategy, which is currently being developed. The EDIB committee has continued to provide feedback throughout its development.
In December 2023, as part of our ‘inclusion calendar’ project, the committee helped to identify important EDIB related events that would be taking place throughout 2024. We sent these to staff and asked them to vote for which events they would like us to focus on and celebrate within the organisation. Since January, we have been celebrating one event per month, through activities such as sharing information, hosting quizzes, and giving out tickets to relevant events.
The committee reviewed Turn2us’ diversity monitoring form, which is sent to all new staff through an EDIB lens and suggested changes to make the questions more inclusive, and easier to answer.
Meet some of our committee members
I am the Manager of the Care Programme at Turn2us, which works with local community groups in Manchester to improve outcomes for people impacted by the cost of care. Our vision for the programme is that people are not worse off financially because they are in receipt of or providing care. Co-production with local organisations and residents is a key value of the programme. I have worked at Turn2us for nearly five years and enjoy creative writing and dance in my personal life.
I am committed to championing EDIB at Turn2us and have been involved in various initiatives since joining in 2019; I supported a small team carrying out research, ultimately leading to a redesign of the Elizabeth Finn Fund so that it better aligned with our EDIB aims and values. I believe that a more inclusive organisation, that is conscious of power imbalances, will produce the best quality work.
I joined the committee to drive positive change at Turn2us and actively contribute to fostering diversity and inclusion within the organisation. I view the committee as a platform for implementing policies and initiatives that promote these values.
I am passionate about a wide variety of topics, including feminist and war literature, self-improvement, personal growth, and culinary endeavours. This includes reading, prayer, meditation, mindfulness, learning new skills, and experimenting with new recipes. I particularly enjoy recreating dishes that evoke memories from my childhood.
My aspiration is that, through the efforts of the committee, we can weave the principles of EDIB into Turn2us' culture, making them fundamental to our mission, vision, and values. Ultimately, I feel respected, and empowered to contribute to our goals.
I’m Ems, the Senior Partner Development Officer at the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust. I have over a decade of experience working in the voluntary sector and a background in oral history/heritage work, helping to share the voices of people from South Asian, Chinese, Nepalese, African/African Caribbean, and White Scottish communities.
I joined the EDIB Committee in March 2024 and have a particular interest in equitable grant making. Through my work, I have recruited specific partners who work with people most affected by poverty. In my free time I like going to the gym, love all things interiors, and am an avid podcast listener!
Hello! I’m Miles and I currently have two roles at Turn2us; a Programmes Assistant and a Grant Programmes Officer, both for the Edinburgh Trust. I personally identify as trans, queer, and disabled, which informs my understanding and passion for EDIB and led me to joining the committee and providing my perspective.
I co-created Trans Pride Cardiff and have worked as an illustrator and freelancer, educating and promoting trans and LGBTQ+ inclusion. My previous charity sector role was in a small team providing support and advocacy for people who had experienced hate crime, as well as training and engagement on race, religion, disability, gender, subcultures, minority groups, and LGBT+ related issues. My passion for EDIB shows up in my role at Turn2us, my freelance work, my personal interests as a musician and my life in general! I am excited to promote an inclusive culture internally, and externally to reach the people who are currently not benefitting from the services we provide.
Hi, I’m Patrycja, Head of Edinburgh Trust. Before joining Turn2us in June 2022, I had a very diverse career path, from academic research and teaching to public engagement, co-design and leadership in the third sector. But what all these experiences have in common is that they were driven by my passion for challenging inequality and improving representation. In my last role as the CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, I led work focused on furthering gender equality in Scotland. I sat on several groups and committees, including the Scottish Government’s Women’s Equality Steering Group, Equality and Diversity Youthwork Network and the Poverty Alliance Get Heard Scotland Advisory Group.
I am now excited to be part of Turn2us' EDIB committee. On a personal note, as a migrant woman from a working-class background who has experienced poverty, I am very passionate about designing for ‘the furthest from opportunity first’ to tackle economic challenges.
Hi, I’m Sophie, Inclusion Officer at Turn2us. I’m really proud to be part of the EDIB committee, working with creative and passionate colleagues to embed EDIB within everything we do here at Turn2us. I believe developing our understanding of intersectionality, the fact different individuals will face unique experiences and challenges due to many different intersecting aspects of their identity, is crucial to creating an equitable and inclusive society.
I love to hear new perspectives and learn from the people around me, and the EDIB committee has been a wonderful environment for that. I also love reading, live music, and trying out new creative hobbies (unfortunately never managing to stick with one for long).
I’m Steph, the Senior Impact and Learning Officer at Turn2us. My work involves doing research to understand our organisation’s impact and how we can improve. I am passionate about creating an anti-oppressive environment inside and outside of work.
My particular interests are anti-racism, gender equality, disability inclusion and menstrual health. Our EDIB committee is full of energy and honest conversations, and I am proud to be a part of it!
Hello! My name is Tabarak Na’ama (She/Her) and I am the Senior Planning and Strategy Officer at Turn2us. My interests include reading (historical fiction is always a winner), outdoor running, cooking (a New Year’s Resolution to do more of this so here’s what will hold me to account), politics and travel.
I joined the EDIB Committee because I’m passionate about anti-oppression and the deconstruction of structural and systemic inequality. Putting to use my two years of experience at Turn2us to help create an inclusive culture, I particularly want to be a voice for junior members of staff and women of colour, for fairer representation.
I am proud of our committee. We’ve all come together with the best of intentions to be the change we want to see, to lead by example and to help create a safer place for staff and service users at Turn2us. I’ve also been able to express myself freely in this space, with the encouragement of the inspiring people on this committee.
In April 2023, I joined Turn2us as Head of EDIB overseeing the inclusion department, which includes the areas of EDIB, Safeguarding, and Co-production. As part of my role, I also chair the EDIB Committee, which consists of colleagues from different parts of the organisation, with diverse backgrounds and experiences who can offer unique perspectives on how we can make the most meaningful progress in this area.
It has been a pleasure to lead this group who not only add to but challenge the decision making process. Together, we are committed to ensuring that Turn2us not only talks the talk, but walks the walk, when it comes to embedding EDIB principles into every aspect of our work. In less than a year, I have witnessed the remarkable achievements of this passionate and dedicated group and I have no doubt there’s more to come.