Growing research findings in both mainstream and social finance led to an important discussion at The Gathering in February 2017 regarding the need to improve diversity among social investors in the UK.
These discussions culminated in April 2017 with the formation of a sector-wide Diversity Working Group.
This Working Group will include representatives from investors small and large, intermediaries and market champions to work together on this important challenge.
The Secretariat for the group is led by The Social Investment Consultancy, with additional support provided by The Social Innovation Partnership.
The Working Group aims to provide leadership to the social investment sector on issues of diversity and inclusion, so as to enable:
Social investors to make good and better investment decisions,
Sector employers to offer an inclusive workplace and better represent the people that the sector funds, and
An increase in diversity of groups to which the level of social investment flows.
The Diversity Working Group meets 4 to 6 times a year, and is currently chaired by Gemma Rocyn Jones of the Big Lottery Fund and Danyal Sattar of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Members engage in this Group in their personal capacity but they currently work in organisation including Big Lottery Fund, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Big Society Capital, Power to Change, Social Investment Business, Voice4Change and Social and Sustainable Capital.