Broadland is supporting #Flourish, a new campaign by Independent East to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and communities. Independent East is an informal alliance of 5 community-focused housing associations in the East of England.

#Flourish is designed to raise awareness of inclusivity and create an environment where everyone can be themselves, grow and flourish. The campaign is based on the idea that just as every plant needs a different environment, treatment and conditions to thrive, so do we as individuals.

Over the coming months, Independent East members will work collaboratively to raise awareness about the importance of inclusion through surveys, training and events. Each organisation will also commit to scrutinise their internal processes to see how they could be improved.

We are very excited to be part of this initiative with Independent East, growing our already strong programme of EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] activities. Our strong commitment reflects that of the other members of Independent East and we look forward to working together to bring even more opportunities to our staff team.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

We are all really passionate about this work. We want our workplaces and our communities to be totally inclusive places, that accept everyone for who they are with no judgement and provide an environment where they can be free to be who they want to. We know that there are so many benefits to having a happy workforce, so why wouldn’t you put in place the things needed to enable that to happen?”

Catherine Hodds, Director of People & Culture at Saffron

We spend so much of our adult lives at work; it seems contradictory that many people are worried about being themselves when they are there. While it’s important to remain professional, employees that feel comfortable being themselves are likely to be happier and more productive. This, in turn, influences the service that we can provide to our customers and the experience they will have when they interact with us.

By working in partnership with our Independent East partners, we hope this campaign will have a positive effect on all our customers across the East of England.

Wendy Evans-Hendrick, Chief Executive, Orwell Housing Association