What an unforgettable celebration of leadership, learning and lived inclusion! On Thursday 27th November, the National Centre for Diversity proudly hosted the FREDIE Conference & Awards 2025 at The Aagrah Restaurant in Bradford — marking a powerful milestone in our journey as we celebrate 20 years of championing FREDIE values across the UK.
Our theme this year, “Bright Ideas: Learning Across Sectors,” brought together brilliant minds from a wide range of industries — each committed to driving Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement forward in their own spaces. It was a day to ignite ideas, amplify voices, and build bridges across sectors that rarely have the chance to learn from one another.
Conference Highlights
The daytime conference offered a festival of insight, collaboration and practical action. Attendees enjoyed:
✔ Keynotes from industry leaders
✔ Inspirational Stories
✔ Q&A and workshop sessions
✔ Networking with EDI champions from across the UK
We were honoured to welcome inspiring speakers including Duncan Elliott (Sellafield Programme & Project Partners), Solat Chaudhry (NCFD), Hollie M. Cregan (Graham Construction), Angela Foulkes (The Sheffield College) and Lou Mather (Northern Trains) — all sharing real-world approaches to building stronger, safer and more inclusive workplaces.
Workshop topics ranged from Inclusive Leadership to culture transformation and intersectional challenges in male-dominated environments, offering everyone actionable tools to take back into their organisations.
Awards Evening Celebration
As night fell, the spotlight shifted to the incredible individuals and organisations leading the way in workplace inclusion. Guests enjoyed:
✨ Announcement of the Top 100 Inclusive Employers UK 2025
✨ Live entertainment from Comedian Tony Vino and the uplifting House Gospel Choir
✨ A three-course dinner, networking, and a night full of celebration
The atmosphere was joyful, electric and deeply motivating — a reminder of what becomes possible when fairness and respect are more than values… they’re behaviours.
Special Recognition Award Winners
A big WELL DONE to all of the Special Recognition Awards Winners, some of which were presented with their certificates on the night.
The winners were:
- United Colleges Group (UGC) – Stephen Davies, Bilal Bobat & Nadia El Atrash
- Together Housing Group – Kasira Ahmed & Emma Tomkinson
- Pobl Group – Nicola Jones
- Clarke Telecom – Rachael Stanner
- Programme and Project Partners (PPP) – Claire Gribben, Dan Costello & Duncan Elliott
- Sheffield College – James Smythe
- GRAHAM Group – Hollie Cregan & Michael Smyth
- Tilbury Douglas – Craig Tatton
Thank You
To our speakers, workshop facilitators, award winners, partners, and every guest who joined us — thank you. And a heartfelt thank you to the exceptional team behind the scenes, whose expertise and dedication brought this event to life.
A special THANK YOU to Sheffield College for Sponsoring our FREDIE Awards.
As we celebrate 20 years of progress, we are energised for the future. Together, we will keep pushing boundaries, shaping better workplaces, and building a fairer, more inclusive society for all.
