Who are you and what is your role at CAM?

“I’m Rob and I work on the Adviceline team here at Manchester, and I’m on the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Working Group. I’ve been here for almost 5 years now and I started in the consumer department and then moved onto Adviceline around 2 years ago which I really enjoy because there’s a lot of satisfaction with helping people.”

What is the EDI Working Group and what does it do?

“The EDI Working Group is essentially there to make sure that we’re applying equality and diversity principles across the whole of Citizens Advice Manchester, so making sure that all the different groups and communities across the service are getting the help, support and care they need equally between everyone. We make sure that everyone, no matter their background or who they are, are seen, heard and supported within the service. There are EDI ambassadors and we have meetings and use Workplace regularly to make sure everyone is kept up to date on EDI issues and information.

We are a support network for anyone facing EDI issues or wanting EDI support, and we also do work around awareness days and months such as Black History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month in order to promote these and creating spaces where people can share their thoughts and stories.”

Why is it so important to have an EDI Working Group and be a member of it?

“I’m LGBT myself so it’s incredibly important to be able to make sure everyone is treated fairly and equally within the service, and it’s important to me to play a part in delivering that. For example, we encourage people to put their pronouns in their profile or email signature to foster inclusivity within the service and create healthy and safe spaces. It’s important to make sure the workplace is comfortable for everyone and make sure no one is ostracised or left out.”

February was LGBTQ+ History Month, why is this month so important?

“Knowing about the history of the LGBTQ+ community is really important for education and making people aware of the issues that LGBTQ+ people have faced and continue to face. Being able to share the stories of prominent figures of the movement can help show people just how recent it actually is. For example, section 28 was only abolished in 2003, and not a lot of people, especially younger generations, realise just how recent that was in the context of the whole movement.

Exploring history and learning about who paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights and how they did it and what adversities they faced can really help open up people’s eyes. You don’t have to be a part of the LGBT community to educate yourself and that's why this awareness month is so important for educating and learning.”