CLCH marks Black History Month 2021

October is very special as it is Black History Month. Inspired by Black Lives Matter movement, the theme for this year is “Proud To be”.

At CLCH, we are proud to have a rich and diverse workforce,of which 48.94% are from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background.

This year, we are celebrating Black History Month by recognising inspirational and iconic black pioneers, and sharing some of the steps we are taking to promote equality and tackle inequality, and continue to build a culture of belonging, inclusion and understanding. We are committed to addressing inequality and investing in promoting a positive culture as part of our Promoting Equality and Tackling Inequality strategy 2020-25. 

Throughout October, we will be holding activities and events organised by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team and CLCH Race Equality Network to:

• celebrate and showcase the achievements and resilience of black and brown staff
• share popular Caribbean, Asian and African recipes and photos
• develop a montage of our black colleagues from across the organisation
• share the stories of historical and inspirational black figures and their contributions to healthcare in the UK and the NHS

Our executive sponsor of the Race Equality Network, Elizabeth Hale said: “The campaign slogan for Black History Month this year is Proud To Be – and I want everyone to be proud of their achievements here at CLCH and proud to be part of this amazing CLCH Team."

This month, we will also share a stories from our colleagues across the organisation about what they are most particularly proud of (at work or in their personal lives), what Black History Month means to them and what inspires them. Keep an eye on our news section.

We wish everyone a happy Black History Month!

Resources and reports:

• Ethnic health inequalities and the NHS – This report published by NHS Race Health Observatory argues that the NHS has not made significant progress in reducing ethnic health and more needs to be done.

• How NHS organisations are supporting Black and minority ethnic staff through COVID-19 and beyond – This report published by the NHS Confederation includes examples of how NHS organisations and integrated care systems have supported BME staff, following COVID-19 risk assessments.

• Strengthening NHS board diversity - This report overview published by the NHS Confederation explores the steps needed to strengthen the diversity of NHS boards in England.

• Download the timeline that presents key moments in Black British History.