Celebrating

Pride 2022

  • News
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  • Diversity and inclusion

Celebrating Pride with Openreach

06 Jun 2022

The Openreach family is a big one – there are over 37,000 of us, and we're growing all the time.

Together, we build and maintain the UK’s number one broadband network. We work all over the country and our teams are made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds.

But we want more than that.

We want our teams to truly represent the communities we serve.

The engineering industry has always lacked diversity, and that’s something we’re determined to change. Last year we published ‘Open to Everyone’, which talks about our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive business.

We think it’s important that we’re open and transparent about our journey, so this month we’ll be updating our commitments to reflect the progress we’ve made and the work we still have to do.

It’s really important to us that everyone at Openreach can be completely themselves, and that they feel fully supported. A big part of this is making sure that we’re listening to each other, which is why our People networks – Pride, Gender Equality, Ethnic Diversity, and Neurodiversity - are so important.  

Michael Salter-Church at 10 Downing Street

Our Pride Network

Our Pride network is over 850 members strong and as Pride Month kicks off, everyone’s really excited to be taking part in something that means so much to so many people.

We’re taking part in parades across the UK for the first time, in Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds, and London. Members of the Openreach team, alongside family and friends, will march together and carry Openreach banners. We’re bringing along one of our iconic Openreach engineering vans to each parade too, wrapped up in its finest Pride costume.

We’re also running Openreach stalls, where people can experience a bit of who we are and what we do, as well as find out more about our ‘Open to Everyone’ campaign.

 

Hear from our people

"I think it is vitally important that Openreach is a place that is open to everyone. I want all our LGBTQ+ colleagues to know that we support them and continue to make the change necessary to make this an even better place to work and fulfil potential. One way to bring that to life is by joining the Pride events Openreach is participating in for the first time – Belfast, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff and London. As allies, friends, family and members of the community we can stand together (or march) to highlight our unity and active support for each other. The Pride Network looks forward to seeing you there." - Michael Salter-Church

“I’m really excited so see the Pride Network, and all the allies who are supporting us, taking Openreach to our first PRIDE Events across the UK. It’s wonderful to see the business’ appetite in supporting this; to continue to strive to be better than we were yesterday and make sure we are truly open to everyone. Pride is an amazing opportunity to show our colleagues and society that we stand proud with all LGBTQ+ people in celebrating progress and marching for the changes still needed. I passionately believe everyone should get to live as their whole and brilliantly diverse selves and I’m immensely proud Openreach is behind the network in showing this at Pride. I can’t wait to see you all there” - Matt White (he/him)

 

If you want to be part of an organisation that believes you can bring your whole self to work, regardless of your gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, ethnic background or disability then explore an Openreach career today. 

 

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