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The Diversity & Inclusion
Wales Awards 2024 
17th December 2024

It's time to celebrate the most inclusive Welsh Businesses and Professionals of 2024

Woman expressing excitement

The Diversity & Inclusion
Wales Awards 2024 

We’re celebrating inclusion because it's setting a standard that should be the norm, but itsn't yet – a world where everyone feels welcome, valued, and seen. Accessibility should be part of every design, not an afterthought, and inclusion can’t be something we leave for someone else to handle.

 

Each of us has a responsibility to step in, make changes, and create spaces that reflect true diversity. Yet, the journey toward inclusion often comes with sacrifice; it can require sharing our vulnerabilities so that others can understand, or pioneering new 'first's' creating platforms where we can lift others up to be heard and seen too.

 

Many who lead this work have faced personal challenges to pave the way for others, putting themselves on the line so future generations won’t have to.  By coming together to celebrate, we honour their courage and remind ourselves that each step we take makes it easier for someone else to take their own.

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 Event Itinerary - On The Day

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The Diversity & Inclusion
Wales Awards 2024 

Tuesday December 17th 2024
11.30am to 4pm
International Convention Centre, Newport 

Dress code: Respectful celebration wear
(Our team will be wearing cocktail attire)

For directions, parking and accomodation view HERE.
 

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10.45am - Accessibility desk opens

Located on the first floor to the right of the central lifts you'll find your accessability desk.
Here you can explore your options for an accessible and inclusive event experience tailored to your needs.

Hoist and accessible changing facilities, prayer room, wellbeing space, audio Looping, BSL interpreters, buddys, support workers, sensory shutdown zones, sensory map, venue familiarisation and more all available from our support team.

We are working towards the gold standard of making our event inclusive by design, so If you have any feedback that could help us prepare to be inclusive then please let us know at awards@ThinkEDI.co.uk or via the website chat function.

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11am -12pm: Private & Invite Only - Finalists and Sponsors Reception

Finalists and sponsors are welcome to join us for photos and a pre-event drink to celebrate your achievements.

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11:30am - 12.10pm: Arrival Photos, Drinks and Networking

All guests to arrive by midday please.

Join us for arrival photos with our photographer, welcome beverages and great conversation with like-minded peers. You'll find cocktail tables at multiple heights to suit everyone.

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12.00am - 12.20pm: Break for Dhur Prayer Time

For any of our guests observing Dhur prayer time, we invite you to worship together in the prayer room we have provided for you. This will be signposted for you. If you would like directions please ask at the Accessibility desk on arrival and we'd be happy to take you there.

Our other guests may continue to network or make use of the woodland walk (Please note the venue has advised us this is not fully accessible by wheelchair due to ancient tree roots which at times cover the path.

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12.20- 1pm: Welcome speeches and instant wellbeing session

You'll find your very own gift bag at the table.

Then receive a warm welcome from ThinkEDI's neurodivergent and disabled, CEO Sophie Mason, and COO Merryn Roberts-Ward. The co-founders behind ThinkEDI's inclusion revolution, receiving a sneaky first glimpse of the ThinkEDI app due to launch in the new year.

Hear from the pioneering Welsh broadband provider, Ogi, our event sponsors, on why they have supported the awards and how diversity and inclusion is the rule not exception in their workplace culture.

Experience, laughter at it's purest for instant wellbeing with Jon The Wellbeing Guy.

 

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 1pm - 2.10pm  Food, conversation and performances

Join your table and share in the first two courses of your meal, championing the brilliant people that bring us together. Let us celebrate our vibrant welsh communities

 

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2.10pm - 2.30pm: Break for Asr Prayer Time

For any of our guests observing Asr prayer time, we invite you to worship together in the prayer room we have provided for you. This will be signposted for you. If you would like directions please ask at the Accessibility desk on arrival and we'd be happy to take you there.

Our other guests may continue to network or take the time to use the sensory space or breakout spaces.

CLOSE UP OF ONE DESSERT ON A PLATE, AND A CUP OF COFFEE ON A WHITE LINEN TABLE CLOTH COVER

 2.30pm - 2.50pm  Desserts, Coffees and Performances

Enjoy a stunning desert and coffee, whilst getting ready for the award announcements.

 

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 2.50pm - 3.55pm  The Awards

We will invite all of the 5 finalists from each category onto the stage to receive their awards whilst we learn about their work and find ways to collaborate.

The awards wil finish at 3.55pm promptly to allow for Maghrib prayer time.
 

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3.55pm - 4.30pm  Final Networking Drinks

You are welcome to continue to use the foyer bar until 4.45pm.

 

Event Sponsors

Headline Partner

Ogi logo

Better broadband for Wales

Wales’s leading alternative network provider – and proud of it

Installing a brand new Gigabit-capable digital network in the towns and villages we call home. It’s next generation stuff, giving local families and businesses great value ultrafast and ultra-reliable services, from a talented team based right around the corner.

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So get ready to go faster than ever – playing on mam’s iPhone at the kitchen table, getting Netflix-ready on the sofa or acing that virtual presentation far away from the boardroom.

Award sponsors 

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Finalists

The level of diverse and inclusive efforts we have seen demonstrated in the applications has been beyond incredible and has really affirmed how important these awards are.

It is only fitting that ALL of our brilliant finalists will be invited on stage and will each be given an award for their contributions.

As such we will be handing out a prize for Gold Champion, Silver Champion, Bronze Champion and two champion awards.
 

Awards for Businesses and Organisations

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Inclusive Service Award 

Finalists:
 

  • The Centre for African Entrepreneurship

  • Size of Wales

  • Every Woman Health Festival

  • Motion Control Dance

  • The Index (Vale of Glamorgan)

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Inclusive Product Award

Finalists:
 

  • Cymru & I Magazine

  • Cambrian Training

  • Nurologik

  • Umbrella Faith

  • Arbennig Books

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Inclusive Employer Award

Finalists:
 

  • Acquis Insurance Management

  • Metal Seagulls

  • Welsh Connection Home

  • Acorn Recruitment by Synergie

  • Llandeilo Business Forum

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Inclusive Start-Up Award

Finalists:
 

  • Apoyo

  • MeetBetter

  • Baldilocks

  • World Accessible Holidays

  • Talent Tent

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Inclusive Social Enterprise Award

Finalists:

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  • Skills To Up-skill C.I.C

  • Soul Trail Wellbeing C.I.C

  • Redberth Croft CIC

  • Fflamingo CIC

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Inclusive Charity Award

Finalists:

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  • Tenovus Cancer Care

  • Marie Curie

  • UnLtd

  • Active Angel's Group

  • Welsh Women’s Aid

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Inclusive Accommodation Award

Finalists:

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  • Harmony Farm Stay, Usk

  • Bluestone

  • River Flow Yoga - Queer Nature Retreat

  • Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff

  • Seren Ffestiniog Cyf

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Inclusive Professional Community Award

Finalists:

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  • Welsh ICE

  • NatWest Business Accelerator

  • Barclays Eagle Labs

  • Tramshed Tech

  • FinTech Wales 

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Inclusive Community Group Award

Finalists:

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  • African Community Centre

  • Cardiff Student Action for Refugees (STAR)

  • Caribeatz - Meno

  • Women Connect First

  • Mischief Creative

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Inclusive Culture Award

Finalists:

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  • Cynefin Pamoja

  • Principality Building Society

  • Arts Council of Wales

  • We Get Design

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Awards for Professionals and Individuals

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Inclusive HR Professional

Finalists:

  • Deb Barrow

  • Genevieve Nock

  • Judith Germain

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Inclusive Digital Professional Award

Finalists:

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  • Paul Rogers

  • Mohammed Basit

  • Owain Roberts

  • Gemma Helyer

  • Nat Watson

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Inclusive Creative Professional Award

Finalists:

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  • Jon Bockelmann-Evans

  • Ernie Sparkles (The Queens of The House of Deviant)

  • Ryan Rix

  • Emily Nicole Roberts

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Inclusive Director Award

Finalists:
 

  • Shilpa Vyas

  • Natalie Hodgkinson

  • Innes Robinson

  • Lesley Williams

  • ​Geinor Styles

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Inclusive Health Professional Award

Finalists:

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  • Lauren Inglett, Occupational Therapist

  • Anne Taplin, Operational Manager for Children and Young People

  • Beverley from Radiology at Morriston

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Inclusive Front-Line Professional Award

Finalists:

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  • Tristan Harris, Social Care Officer for Parent Carers

  • David Crews, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service

  • Jon Pearson Wood, Occupational Therapist

  • Katie Nash, Neuro-developmental Team

  • Faye Osgood, Young Carers Manager

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Inclusive Education Professional Award 2024

Finalists:

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  • Ben Edwards, Higher-level Teaching Assistant

  • Elizabeth Lewis, Cyber Innovation Hub Wales

  • Emma Takle, Teacher in charge of Autism Base

  • Natalie Hodgkinson, Boss & Brew Academy

  • Louise Robinson, ASC Specialist Teacher

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Diversity & Inclusion Influencer Award 2024

Finalists:

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  • Molly Fenton

  • Dan Newman (Baldilocks)

  • Blessing Mutamba

  • Khurram Khan

  • Ian Timbrell (More than Flags and Rainbows)

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