Thank you to all our members who attended this event! 

With the theme of #InspireInclusion, this members only event hosted lively discussion and debate with our keynote speakers on the day, as we explored the theme of inclusion.

What is #InspireInclusion about?
Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. We believe together we can forge equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion, celebrate achievement, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity.

IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid. Bringing us together to listen, discuss and agree actions we can all take forward gives us an incredible opportunity to be part of the change within our industry.

Keynote speakers 
Keynote speakers Kevin Exley of Unherded and Amanda Henderson of Thread HR to join us. Both experts in their fields, they are explored the topic of inclusion across their talks. Kevin is a speaker who specialises in helping organisations celebrate difference, build inclusive workforces and understand the value to both employees and employers to embrace inclusivity. Kevin will be exploring this topic on the day, inviting questions from assembled members. Amanda Henderson is serious about HR and has built her reputation around the needs of SMEs. Picking up from Kevin's talk, Amanda will be addressing the ways to address inclusivity at work, what this means for employers and employees and how to build the policies that work for everyone - plus advice on how to avoid the pitfalls.

Member Panel & Discussions
We love a member panel where we share peer to peer experience and views! A huge thanks to our member panel who shared progress and insights from across their businesses, starting a great discussion with attendees afterwards.

We are delighted to announce joining our member panel will be Helen Dyl (Tancia Group: The Pen Warehouse & Snap Products), Chia Du Viviers (Clipper Interall), Ben Whibley (Manic Merchandise), Josh Haftel (Nadel).

Our keynote speakers

Kevin Exley, Unherded

Kev is a trained coach, specialising in helping ADHD adults navigate their careers, strengthen their relationships and enjoy their lives a little more – particularly those who work in the creative industries. Unsurprisingly, Kev is ADHD himself – a part of him he’d never change, but which has played a hand in both accelerating and limiting his own advertising career in equal measure.

With a creative advertising background, Kev has been surrounded by some of the best neurodivergent minds for many years, driving creativity and success in equal measure. He now focuses on helping organisations better support their neurodivergent employees and harness the creative advantage divergent thinking can bring.

You can find more about Unherded here.

Amanda Henderson, Thread HR

Amanda has very proudly followed a squiggly career path, actually starting with a BSc in Marketing many moons ago... a change to a graduate scheme that was made after she accepted a place on the scheme, took her into the world of operations, learning how to manage teams and run P&L accounts.  Whilst she enjoyed a lot of this role, it was the people-part that really took her heart.  Amanda moved first into recruitment, then took her Level 7 CIPD.  A culmination of things coming together saw her open her first HR consultancy in 2021, and nearly three years on, with her second consultancy (Thread HR) she couldn't be happier.  

Outside of work Amanda have two little girls (3 and 4) who keep her very busy; she loves to take them to the park, the theatre, and swimming when they can.  Amanda also love to run, cycle and row, which is handy, as she loves to bake bread and to eat great food, both at home and in restaurants.

MEMBER OFFER

Thread HR have a time limited special member offer which includes a free 30 minute consultation - please contact Amanda Henderson for more information. 

Find Amanda's useful DE&I questionnaire for businesses here.

Thread HR

Thread HR proudly serves SMEs, who are often founder-led and in need of an HR all-rounder.  We happily work from HRBP level up to HR Director level, giving our clients depth and breadth in our offering.  There are two parts to HR; one part is making sure that you stay on the straight and narrow legally, avoiding any potential litigation, the other is unleashing the very best from your people, which we all know is the best way to drive your business forward! We work across a range of industries with retainers from as little as a day a month, making us accessible to growing businesses.  We will also undertake project work to kick start a certain area of your business.  We pride ourselves in feeling like an extension of your team; just ask Carey for a reference on this! 

You can find more about Thread HR here.

Thank you to our sponsors 

Event Feedback

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