FREDIE (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement) practitioners and Investors in Diversity Assessors at the National Centre for Diversity play a critical role in fostering inclusive workplaces. They work directly with organisations to promote fairness and equality, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, have equal opportunities to thrive.
By providing guidance, training, and support, our FREDIE practitioners and Investors in Diversity Assessors help organisations embed inclusive practices, challenge discrimination, and create environments where diversity is valued and celebrated.
At the National Centre for Diversity, we are proud to highlight the work of our EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) practitioners and Investors in Diversity Assessors through this series of profiles. These features highlight how we can support organisations deliver positive change.
Kam Urwin has worked in the not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors for most of her working life specialising in mentoring, inclusion and diversity. She has worked in disability focused charities and supporting women fleeing domestic abuse for nearly a decade. Since 2019 Kam has worked freelance with a range of public and private sector organisations on areas relating to inclusion, diversity, fairness, and engagement. In 2019 Kam was the Chair of WISH Yorkshire & Humberside (Women in Social Housing), from 2021-23 a Board Member at SYHA (South Yorkshire Housing Association) and currently is Board Member at MSV Housing Group in the Northwest.
Kam also supports trainee Board Members from diverse backgrounds to develop as future Board Members for social housing organisations. With a range of voluntary roles in the past including advocating for people with learning disabilities, befriender for asylum seekers and refugees, helper at the local foodbank and local community events organiser – she is also a keen cricket supporter, occasional amateur dramatics dabbler and busy parent of two.
I saw a post on LinkedIn about the National Centre for Diversity seeking new advisors at a time when I was looking for new opportunities to work more closely in EDI and get out of my comfort zone. My conversation with Solat the CEO made me believe I could be an advisor while building my skills and sharing my knowledge and experience.
Can you share a bit about your journey with the National Centre for Diversity? What initially drew you to this organisation?
I have now been with the Centre for nearly 5 years – which have flown by since my initial training in October 2019! At first, due to the pandemic, work was a little slow – which was helpful for me as I was juggling (like so many people at the time) home-schooling along with work. But since 2021 it has been a great journey, meeting new people, working with a range of clients, doing interesting work which I’m passionate about and really getting to grips with what helps organisations to be more diverse and inclusive.
What have been some of the most rewarding experiences in your time working with the NCFD?
I recently worked with an organisation that really tried to embrace FREDIE in creative and traditional ways and heard from new staff who talked of how
welcome they were made to feel, how FREDIE was part of their induction, how well they felt they were treated compared to other places they’d worked – this was truly moving – it made me want to work there!
So, I asked if when they are established staff members or managers of the future they see themselves doing the same for others – inviting people from different backgrounds into the organisation, making them feel welcome and treated fairly from day one – ‘Yes’ was the unanimous response. That’s what I’m working towards supporting organisations in a sustained culture of inclusion, belonging, fairness and engagement.
What motivates you to work in the not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors?
I’ve worked in not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors for most of my working life. I love the sense of purpose, the giving back to the community and the often – fabulous people you come across that you can work with collaboratively, learn from, share experiences with and if you’re lucky have a laugh with too!
That’s not to say other places don’t do that but I come from a background where my parents needed help then (still do now!) so I had to grow up quickly, looking after my siblings, being an ad hoc translator, being the first to learn to drive and go to university in my family and having to understand health, education and other systems from a young age to help my family.
I know how grateful my parents were when someone understood what they meant or what they needed which wasn’t always the same as the majority – these are the types of services, projects and care not-for-profits often provide – to help all people feel heard and included – so children like me at the time, don’t have to in the future.
What do you think the importance of FREDIE (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement) is when working with and among local communities?
FREDIE, the sweet wrapper of fairness, respect and engagement, can really help people from all communities relate to each other because we all want to be treated with respect, fairness and communicated with well – which helps strengthen our sense of equality and inclusion.
What advice would you give to organisations as they embark on their FREDIE journeys?
There is lots of advice I could give but I’ll limit it to a few:
- Take a leap – try things you didn’t think would be possible in your organisation, think outside the box – get creative. FREDIE can be fun.
- Really think about and articulate what difference you want to see by embracing FREDIE and then invest in it and empower people to lead and deliver on it.
- Don’t forget to celebrate your efforts, achievements and the diversity of your people along the way.
- Make the most of ALL the people you have – respect them, develop them, encourage them, keep them safe and help them achieve their potential. Be the role model or manager you always wanted!
