ParliREACH at Houses of Parliament Restoration & Renewal

ParliREACH was established to increase awareness and appreciation of race, ethnicity and cultural heritage issues in Parliament. It also aims to provide a platform where under-represented groups can find support and where equality objectives can be progressed.

ParliREACH welcomes anyone who feels that the group will allow them to gain support or voice concerns, regardless of whether you share a relevant protected characteristic.

ParliREACH's objectives:

• First, to advocate for the recruitment, development and retention of staff from under-represented groups.
• Second, to provide a support network to our members in the workplace.
• Third, to host professional, networking, and social events.

There are regular meetings with Mr Speaker and also with the House of Commons Management Board. Through these meetings we have been able to explore various issues that we need support with, such as developing a leadership programme for BME (black and minority ethnic staff) and the need to get BME representation on Recruitment Boards.

Past events have included a film screening of Twelve Years a Slave, introduced by director Steve McQueen.

Membership

All parliamentary passholders, including Commons and Lords staff, MPs staff and contractors are welcome to join ParliREACH, as are MPs and Peers. Membership is not restricted to people who require a platform relating to this WEN but those involved are required to respect the aims of the Network.

Janet Campbell

"I want to lead, and encourage, courageous conversations about race in the workplace. One size does not fit all and the term BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) can, on its own, be the very antithesis of inclusion - I don't want us to tick boxes because they are there to be ticked. I want us to be proactive about race and to work towards developing an organisational culture that is genuinely free from sytemic bias and barriers."