ARDS ACHIEVES SILVER STANDARD FOR DIVERSITY

Ards Borough Council has achieved silver standard for its diversity work, one of only three councils in Northern Ireland to be recognised by Business in the Community and Opportunity Now.

Ards was among seventy-six organisations across the UK which participated in Business in the Community - Opportunity Now's national benchmarking survey to measure its level of equality and diversity in the workplace with a particular focus on gender equality.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Council, Mayor of Ards, Councillor Mervyn Oswald, said:

"We have been working steadily both internally and externally in a range of areas to promote diversity, from events aimed at men and women to cultural activities which address ethnic minority issues," said Councillor Oswald. "While some of what we do is on a small scale, when you add it all together, you can start to see it making a big difference and I'm delighted that the Council's proactive approach to diversity is being recognised in this way".

Deborah McConnell, Campaign Manager for Business in the Community, commented: "We're delighted that yet again our Northern Ireland companies are leading the way with some exceptional results. Congratulations to Ards Borough Council for its leadership in positively addressing diversity in its workplace. The true business benefits of developing an engaged and inclusive workplace cannot be underestimated and these organisations are ahead of the game and showing great examples of best practice in this area".

Despite the slow economic recovery and public sector cutbacks, the benchmarking survey showed that employers are still prioritising and investing in diversity. Key achievements in the survey showed that many business cases were considered 'best practice' as they went beyond generic statements and were clearly aligned with the strategy and there was a real increase in senior commitment to diversity with more chief executives taking on the position of the gender champion. More than 63% of organisations also highlighted performance improvements relating to the recruitment, progression and engagement of female employees.

To find out more about Business in the Community's diversity benchmark through Opportunity Now programme, e-mail deborah.mcconnell@bitcni.org.uk or call (028) 9046 0606. For more information on Business in the Community, visit www.bitcni.org.uk.