South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service won the Gold Standard at the British Diversity Awards 2002, at a ceremony held in London on 22nd November 2002. The main aim of the British Diversity Awards is to publicly recognise and reward organisations and/or individuals for demonstrating a greater degree of commitment to realising the ideal of genuine equality, for everyone, as well as appreciating the benefits of diversity within their community.

The South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service entry for the Diversity and Innovation & Awareness Champions Category recognises unique or unusual activities within the organisation, which has had an influence and has delivered a positive outcome on diversity management. The project "Race to Train" was a community partnership programme supported by 22 partner organisations committed to achieving an environment that embraces and values the diverse community in which participants live and work. The project used theatre to address the specific issues of leadership, diversity and race. The play is written as a training vehicle and is deliberately designed to be provocative, expressing a number of diversity issues.

The standard of this entry was judged to be of such a high quality that it qualified Barry O'Donnell, the Chief Fire Officer, for entry into the prestigious Executive Diversity Trendsetter Award. "I personally recognise the responsibilities placed on all of those involved in this process, just how difficult it is to promote and affect diversity and cultural change. It thus becomes increasingly important for me to practise what I preach", he said.

Previous winners of the innovation award include HSBC plc, Leicestershire Police, and Inland Revenue. Last year's Executive Trendsetter Award was presented to Sir Richard Mottram from the DTLR.

BRITISH DIVERSITY AWARDS 2002 FULL WINNERS LIST

DIVERSITY INNOVATION CHAMPION
(Sponsored by the Royal Navy)

GOLD STANDARD: South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.
'Race to Train' is a community partnership programme supported by 22 organisations committed to achieving an environment that embraces and values the diverse community in which they live and work. The Project uses theatre to address the specific issues of leadership, diversity, and racism. The play is written as a training vehicle and is deliberately designed to be proactive, expressing a number of diversity messages.

DIVERSITY AWARENESS CHAMPION
(Sponsored by the Royal Navy)

GOLD STANDARD: Inland Revenue.
Business through Diversity involves a small team which is having a large impact on the Inland Revenue and their customers. Practical tools are provided to managers to enable them to set targets for their organisational units, making representation more attuned to local workforce pools and encouraging ownership and innovation in local recruitment activities.

DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION CHAMPION
(Sponsored by the Department for Transport/Office of Deputy Prime Minister)

GOLD STANDARD: National Coalition Building Institution
NCBI youth leadership teams combine pragmatic skills of activism with leadership healing to build social cohesion through welcoming diversity, prejudice reduction and conflict resolution work. Following intensive awareness and skills training over 325 young people are now replicating the foundation training to their peers and adults, impacting over 20,000 people. With renewed confidence and increased skills they have become leaders and activists working to build inclusive communities and community cohesion.

DIVERSITY IN EMPLOYMENT CHAMPION

GOLD STANDARD: BBC Diversity Centre
Extend is a BBC-wide work placement scheme which offers appropriately qualified disabled people a great opportunity to gain a 4 months paid work placement within the BBC. The principal aim of the Extend programme is to enable talented people with disabilities to gain real work experience and to improve their opportunities of securing full-time employment within the BBC.

DIVERSITY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE CHAMPION

GOLD STANDARD: The Cabinet Office.
The Cabinet Office has created and nurtured a number of schemes that effectively embed diversity into everyone's role through a series of Diversity Objectives. This makes sure that all staff, whilst having their awareness raised, are also active stakeholder's in the schemes' successes. At the next level, the Equality and Diversity Action Plan was devised to oversee the overall progress, and success, of the Diversity Objectives and other schemes. The whole process is overseen by an appointed Diversity Champion whose responsibility is to raise awareness of all the schemes within the entire organisation, and to give the scheme's organisers direct access to the Management Board.

DIVERSITY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE CHAMPION (2)

GOLD STANDARD: The Royal Navy
Award for the assessment of the effectiveness of it's Diversity and Equality policy and training in eliminating discrimination, harassment and bullying in the Royal Navy. Collection of specific data from a wide range of sources was initiated for the deep analysis. The results educated and gained commitment from the top management. Being able to identify and scope the issues enabled valuable and limited resources to be better targeted at more effective remedial action. Eradicating inappropriate behaviour contributes to the care of our people, strengthens teamwork, prevents the Service image from being tarnished and enhances recruitment and retention.

SILVER STANDARD: City & County of Swansea
The 'compact' initiative between the council and the voluntary sector strengthened the presence of voluntary groups representing visible minority communities in Swansea.

DIVERSITY IN SPORT CHAMPION

GOLD STANDARD: SPORTING EQUALS
The key elements of Sporting Equals' initiatives are to work in partnership with national governing bodies and key sports organisations to tackle racial inequality in sport in England. Sporting Equals also provides support and resources to assist organisations in challenging racial inequality where it exists. Sporting Equals is about making a difference and an impact so that ethnic minorities can influence and participate in sport at all levels.

DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA CHAMPION
(Sponsored by the New IMPACT Journal)

GOLD STANDARD: BBC Diversity Centre
The key elements of the Sports Mentoring Scheme consists of twelve racially diverse young Black people (three women, nine men) who received a year's training and work placements within BBC Sport. Their academic study culminated in acquiring a postgraduate certificate in Broadcast Journalism from a leading institution - a 'career passport'. They were supported by twelve specially selected and matched senior managers from BBC Sport, all of whom were inducted into their roles. Eight of the twelve secured employment with BBC Sport while prospects for the remainder are good.

DIVERSITY IN HEALTH CHAMPION
(Sponsored by South London & Maudsley NHS Trust)

GOLD STANDARD: Compare Community Business Ltd
The Community Parents are unemployed women from Black Minority Ethnic groups and by December 2002 sixty women will have been trained over a two-year period to be health and social care para-professionals. The Community Parent in a para-professional role is able to function in a variety of situations that can affect the lives of users to improve the health and social conditions that these communities experience through mentoring, education and signposting. The focus is not merely applied to the existing population but also encompasses investment in future generations.

DIVERSITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

GOLD STANDARD: Perminder Bel, Central Liverpool PCT
Her role as an Equality Advisor is to keep the Trust board members informed of all aspects of Diversity Management, legal responsibilities, meeting performance Targets set by the NHS reforms or local needs. Perminder is also responsible for the development of their Diversity Equality Scheme. She is a regular speaker at conferences sharing her experiences of her role and work.

BEST DIVERSITY ADVERT -TELEVISION

GOLD STANDARD: Fire & Rescue Service.
For reflecting our diverse community in its marketing and promotion, especially for the 'Night Vision' adverts.

SILVER STANDARD: Jacobs Bakery.
For reflecting a diverse community in its marketing and promotion especially the 'Thai Bites' adverts.

BEST DIVERSITY FEATURE IN NEW IMPACT JOURNAL

GOLD STANDARD: 'Black Welsh Identity: The Unspeakable Speaks' by Isabel Adonis. For a thought-provoking feature on the emotional conflicts of being of mixed race in Britain.

SILVER STANDARD: "Being Chinese in a Westernised Workplace" by Wai Kwok Cheung. For his salutary tale of coping with racist 'banter' and 'jokes' in the work environment.

BRONZE STANDARD: "Ignorance and Racism Hampers Refugees" by Gill Sergeant and Aminatta Forna.

AHM-UK'S BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP AWARD

GOLD STANDARD: Royal Navy
For its diversity commitment and unstinting support of the British Diversity Awards and other minority community projects.

SILVER STANDARD: The Metropolitan Police
For its obvious diversity commitment and support of minority community initiatives.

DIVERSITY EXECUTIVE TRENDSETTER AWARD

GOLD STANDARD: Barry O'Donnell , Chief Officer, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. For the importance he places on service delivery to his customers and the diverse focus he employs to ensure that full participation in the consultation process is managed effectively.

BDA 2002 PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR

GOLD STANDARD: Birmingham City Council
The Bridges into the Future Action Plan ensures that the City Council has a racially diverse workforce where everyone's talents are utilised, to provide the best possible service to the community. The Action Plan is being implemented through a three-part framework of Pre-entry measures, Staff Development measures, and Cultural/Organisational Change measures.

2002 BDA FELLOWSHIPS

THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND
The RNIB is a charity providing around 60 services to people with sight loss across the UK. These range from employment and education, to Talking Books, helplines, hotels, and benefits information. They actively campaign on accessibility issues, employing around 3,000 staff and over 5,000 volunteers. They're mission is to challenge blindness by empowering people who are blind and partially sighted, removing barriers they face and helping prevent blindness.

THE JOINT COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF IMMIGRANTS
For its national impact on encouraging the public to combat institutional racism and to ensure the rights of immigrants are noted and respected.

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