Tai Pawb

We are pleased to announce our key speakers for conference. On 5th March, we're hosting our conference with the theme of Rising Above, bringing together housing professionals to gather the support, inspiration and tools they need to lead change in 2025. We will be showcasing each of our speakers over the coming weeks, but you can book your place now: https://lnkd.in/eaQyBzEw and find out more about our speakers. #RisingAbove #EDIInHousing

Our first speaker spotlight this week is Dewbien Plummer. Dewbien has more than 20 years’ experience working directly for local authorities, large housing associations and ALMOs, and was until recently co-chair of House Pride, the network for LGBT+ people working in housing. They also have extensive experience as a Non-Exec Director. In their own words: “Good quality housing is a basic human right. It's accepted that our homes have a significant impact on our health and happiness and on what we can achieve in our lives. But on the 15th of June 2017 when I visited the Grenfell Tower, (the morning after the tragic fire where at least 72 people lost their lives), I understood that it can also be the difference between life and death. It used to be a job that paid the bills - but after the tragedy at Grenfell, it became a calling.” Dewbien will be speaking to the concept we all recognise - how fundamental a ‘home’ is to our lives; and how the ‘calling’ to social housing has shaped their outlook amid a challenging sector landscape. Book your space at our conference here: https://buff.ly/3EvYId7

On Wednesday the 5th of March 2025, I will be delivering a keynote speech at the Tai Pawb, Annual Conference 2025 / Cynhadledd Flynyddol 2025 under the theme Rising Above / Godi'n Uwch. Link to the event here https://lnkd.in/girqzCb7 About the event in Tai Pawb's words: “This year, we are bringing the sector together on all things equality, diversity, and inclusion at our Conference under the theme Rising Above / Godi’n Uwch. In this age of mis-and-disinformation, anti-equality rhetoric, and a narrative of 'othering', it’s never been more important for us as a sector to unite in our goals. To achieve a Wales where everyone, regardless of background, has fair and equitable access to housing opportunities, we need to act now, rise above the noise, and steadfastly commit to creating positive change. We can only achieve this together, and our Annual Conference provides the space for you as housing professionals to gather the support, inspiration, and tools you need to lead this change.” The speaker line-up includes: Alison Thorne, senior independent Non-Exec Director at the Welsh Rugby Union, chair of Barcud housing association, and former chair of equalities organisation, Chwarae Teg. Dr Aurelien Mondon, Senior Academic at the University of Bath and regular contributor to media outlets including CNN, The Guardian, The Independent, Newsweek, Liberation, and Le Soir. And Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government. Learn more and reserve your place here https://lnkd.in/girqzCb7.

As part of our Tai Pawb Menopause and Women's Health events, and to coincide with LGBT+ History Month, we invite our members to a special screening of Rainbow Menopause, followed by a live Q&A with Sarah Williams, co-founder of the Menopause Inclusion Collective, and Ceri Harris BEM, writer and director of this film kindly funded and produced in collaboration with Iris Prize Cymru. Menopause is an evolving conversation, and there’s always something new to learn. Rainbow Menopause sheds light on the diverse and often unheard experiences of LGBTQ+ people navigating menopause. The film is a powerful step in amplifying these voices, challenging health inequalities, and fostering more inclusive discussions. Join us to for this special screening and to take part in an open, thought provoking conversation: https://lnkd.in/eEttycgy Date: Wednesday 19 February Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Location: Online - Teams Free for members, £50 for non members

Our second speaker spotlight is Dr Aurelien Mondon. In this age of populist and reactionary discourse in politics and society, he will reflect on his extensive research into the main-streaming of the far right, how it interacts with current affairs and offering insight into counter-narrative. Dr Aurelien Mondon is an author of a plethora of publications covering racism, populism, media and free speech, transphobia, politics and culture, 'othering' and fascism, Dr Mondon has covered examples the globe-over. He is a regular contributor to media outlets including CNN, The Guardian, The Independent, Newsweek, Liberation and Le Soir. Book your space at our conference here: https://buff.ly/3EvYId7

Loved sharing our Tai Pawbe experience of 4 Day Week with our fab members today. Huge thank you to Nicci Russell (she/her) Hon FCIWEM FIWater from Waterwise, Sam Hepworth from Brook and Paul Oliver from Citizens Advice Gateshead for sharing their insights. Some top take aways from me: 🔹 Tailor your approach – different stakeholders (employees, funders, members, board) have different priorities. Align comms, engagement & monitoring accordingly. 🔹 Data is important – get baseline KPIs & survey insights before launching and plan how you will monitor. 🔹 Be clear on goals – know your main drivers & tailor monitoring and maintenance to those 🔹 Co-design with employees – 4DW works best when shaped and driven by those doing the work, not managers. 🔹 Allow for adaptation – some will embrace change, others may worry. Build in time for design & transition. 🔹 Be brave and don’t overthink it – plan well but avoid self-sabotage. You can’t predict every risk. 🔹 Don't stop – productivity & performance need ongoing attention, 4DW isn’t a“set it and forget it.”

We are excited to announce our support of the RACE COUNCIL CYMRU Conference for the UN Day for Elimination of Race Discrimination. Our Anti-Racism Manager, Evelyn, will be taking part in a panel. You can register here: https://buff.ly/4jQAw5m. We look forward to seeing you there.

Shaping inclusive workplace culture and diversity of thinking comes with both challenges and opportunities. We are delighted to be joined at conference by Alison Thorne, who brings a wealth of experience on workplace culture at a strategic leadership level, including: as a senior independent Non-Exec Director at the Welsh Rugby Union, the chair of Barcud housing association, and as the former chair of equalities organisation, Chwarae Teg. Alison co-chaired the WRU’s review of contracts for Wales’ professional women’s squad, she acts as the Wales lead for ‘Women on Boards’ and now runs her own company, ‘AT Connect.' We look forward to hearing Alison talk on this important topic and share her insights. Book your space at our conference here: https://buff.ly/3EvYId7

Do you have budget for Equality & Diversity training or consultancy this year but ran out of time to deliver? Or do you have a clear training strategy to embed EDI across your organisation and want to spread the cost? We've got the solution for you: buy one of our training and consultancy vouchers before the end of March 2025 and you can redeem it up until March 31st 2026. We have a wide range of training and consultancy on EDI and linked topics, all delivered by housing sector and EDI experts. The only ask is that you give us a little notice so we can make sure a facilitator is available. Give us a quick email: info@taipawb.org or get in touch with your contact at Tai Pawb, and get yours now.

Join us for this session as we reflect on its implementation, the impact (to date) on staff and the organisation, and how we've been keeping track of our commitments and performance. We'll be joined by colleagues from Citizen's Advice Gateshead; water advocate, Waterwise; and sexual health charity, Brook. https://lnkd.in/d_KCqEsa