A campaign to increase the number of people from black and ethnic minority communities on UK public boards has been hailed a success. Known as ëAbout Timeí, it actively seeks to support and encourage diverse leaders to take on board-level opportunities and put their skills and experience to work in community and public life. Its achievements include the placement of non-executive directors on hospital and housing trusts and a governor on a school board.
Run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose, the ëAbout Timeí campaign is supported by Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales and specialist executive search company, Odgers Ray & Berndtson. The campaign identifies non-executive positions on boards and assists candidates from black and minority ethnic communities in applying for them. It also provides ongoing support through mentoring and shadowing to enable them to make a valuable contribution to the work of the board.
The campaign is timely as figures from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) have found that people from BME communities make up just 8.6 per cent of people on boards of public bodies.
The campaign is based on the principle that the benefits of diversity are much more than simply ticking boxes, that the essence of diversity is difference and this is as much about different ways of thinking and seeing the world as it is about categories and classifications such as race, gender or age. That diverse teams generate more energy, challenge the status quo and spot new angles faster than those that are not.
Adirupa Sengupta, of Common Purpose, explains: ì We are delighted with the success of About Time as itís vital to the future of UK society that our public bodies are led by people who reflect the diverse society they serve.î
Campaign success leads to more BME leaders
A campaign to increase the number of people from black and ethnic minority communities on UK public boards has been hailed a success
