Slough CVS hosted a Celebrating Diversity Day event at the Windsor Racecourse on Friday, with approximately 100 attendees from the voluntary sector and the NHS, some of whom came in their national dress. The event saw meaningful discussions and engaging workshops and highlighted the importance of celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion in the community.

  

Vicki Atherton, Director of Operations at Slough CVS, said:
“The day was a great opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity across Slough, Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead, with some powerful conversations about faith, culture, refugees and asylum seekers and disability/neurodiversity. Community groups and professionals came together to listen to expert panels and workshop together how we can all be leaders of change, to break down barriers to promote diversity and inclusion for all.”

In the morning, attendees had the choice to participate in either the “Unveiling the Richness of Faith & Culture” or “Race Inclusions” workshops, led by Rosanne Naicker, SCVS and Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, University of Reading.

The “Unveiling the Richness of Faith & Culture” session was an exploration of different faiths and cultures. Panel members representing Islam, Christianity, African traditions, Judaism, Sikhism, and Brahma Kumaris shared insights into the values, teachings, and beliefs of their respective cultures and faiths. An interactive quiz further engaged the audience.

The “Refugees and Asylum Seekers” session aimed to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these communities and provided practical tips on how to support them.

During the break, attendees enjoyed a delicious buffet of world cuisines prepared by Windsor Racecourse. This was followed by an amazing performance by 100 dancers from Creative Academy.

The afternoon Race Inclusion session highlighted that inclusion is not about just meeting obligations under equality law or having a visibly diverse community. It is about creating a culture where diversity is highly prized, where people feel respected and valued, and where everyone knows that they will get the opportunities, support and resources that they need to succeed.

Vicki Atherton led the “Disability and Neuro Diversity Inclusion” workshop, featuring Tanya Spears from the Autism Group, who shed light on neurodiversity and the challenges faced by individuals from diverse cultures and ethnicities in accessing autism diagnosis and support. William from Together As One also shared his personal experiences of living with autism.

The feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of respondents finding it useful. Delegates found the event useful for facilitating interesting conversations, encouraging networking, and providing insightful workshops.

Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive with 100% of respondents finding the event useful. Delegates comments about the day:

• “Interesting conversations, good sharing and networking.”
• “I enjoyed both sessions I attended and was surprised about some facts shared of which I wasn’t aware. Also found very interesting questions to panel.”
• “The workshops, great food and amazing entertainment!”
• “It’s so important to gather and sit with stakeholders of the community to discuss community issues because it allows for a diverse range of perspectives and ideas to be shared.”
• “By working together and finding common ground, we can create positive outcomes that benefit everyone in the community.”

Thank you to everyone who worked with Slough CVS to put together the day including Creative Academy and all the workshop presenters, panel members and especially to Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, University of Reading for her time and expertise.