Welcome to the third edition of our inclusion and diversity newsletter.

Included are details about forthcoming events and information to help improve

our knowledge and workplace culture. In future this newsletter is moving to

quarterly issues. If there is anything you want to send for consideration in the

next issue please email emma.hughes@aone.uk.com

In this issue�

• Transgender experience

• Here come the girls

• Key diary dates

• Helmet donation

• Inclusion policy

Issue 3 In this issue it’s all about ‘Here come the girls’

In this issue it’s ‘Here come the girls’

LATEST NEWS Our assessment for stage 2 Investors in Diversity has now taken place and we are waiting for

feedback from the National Centre for Diversity. We will tell you the results as soon as know, although we expect it

will be towards the end of June. Thank you to everyone who participated: we managed to raise a magnificent total of

£375: £177 in Area 4 and £198 in Area 12. We will develop action plans from your feedback which will help us improve our understanding and organisational culture.

Inclusion and You Issue 3

Last year I had attended a Highways England event with

speakers on diversity where I met Amanda. She’s 53 and

had lived as a male for 49 years. Born as Martin she felt

different from an early age with first indications of gender

dysphoria at just 7. Amanda struggled with gender

identity throughout her teenage years and university,

suffering severe

prejudice and

bullying.

After she sought

male orientated

jobs male such as

33 years in the

Territorial Army including a tour to Afghanistan and for

the Police on the front line at Bradford and Manchester

riots.

Despite a successful life and career as a male Amanda

still suffered with gender dysphoria and depression and

in her mid 40’s paid for professional counselling. Then at

48 after an appendectomy she was told she was

intersex, which prompted her to begin the transition to

transgender at 49.

When she started her transition her employers were very

unsupportive making comments like “you are lucky you

still have a job” and a glass ceiling appeared with no

prospects sideways or upwards. Her CV was ignored (a

great example of unconscious bias). Amanda was then

offered a new position as Director of Quality in the

Nuclear business for Balfour Beatty and now recognised

for her ability she completed the transition. It is clear that

the company has benefitted in having a very talented,

capable individual

who adds value

to their business

and because they

are open minded

and forward

thinking they can

attract, retain and support more diverse talent.

Amanda’s story had a massive impact on me. I am a 55

year old heterosexual happily married male with two

children (Mr Average!). I am confident I don’t have a

conscious prejudice against lesbian, gay or bisexuals but

before hearing Amanda’s story I think I probably was

prejudiced against the transgender group, simply

because I hadn’t bothered to educate myself and

understand what transgender is.

I have taken a big step forward after hearing Amanda’s story and hope that

some of you reading this will re-evaluate any prejudices you may have

against minority groups. Brian Statham

by Brian Statham, General Manager Area 12

In this issue it’s ‘Here come the girls’

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY is an International awareness campaign to raise the profile of women in engineering and focus attention on the amazing career opportunities available to girls in this exciting

industry, many of whom will not have thought about engineering as a career. The day also helps women in the

industry feel more confident and supported by being able to share stores/experiences. Did you know that in the UK

only 9% of engineers are female, even though 64% of engineering employers say there is a shortage of engineers.

A-one+ our parent companies, client and professional industry organisations celebrated the day and, throughout the

year, regularly support many industry activities to encourage more women to choose engineering as a career.

Parent companies also have internal, mostly online, network groups which focus on this aspect of inclusion.

For example, CH2M have had an active women’s network group for a number of years and Costain have recently

started a gender network group.

Issue 2 Inclusion and You

Page 2

HERE

COME THE

GIRLS

Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) update. Most of the volunteer MHFAs have now

completed their two day training course. The training is designed to enable them to

develop skills to support anyone experiencing mental health issues and you will start to

see posters of the Mental Health First Aiders with details of how they can be contacted.

They are available to help anyone who feels they need help with mental health issues,

including stress and depression, and all conversations with MHFAs are completely

confidential . MHFAs are not assigned to particular departments: you are free to contact

whoever you think can help support you best.

Gay Pride or LGBT Pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people . Pride is takes place in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots which happened at the end of June 1969 in New York . The riots were widely regarded as the catalyst for the gay rights move-ment. Many Pride events are held throughout June to recognise the impact LGBT people have had in the world and to promote LGBT equality rights. For more information on LGBT go to http://www.stonewall.org.uk

Did you know ? The pride flag was originally created in the 1970s. The original flag was emblazoned with eight different colours, each with its own meaning: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for the arts, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit. Later editions of the flag were created with 6 colours, lacking the hot pink and turquoise.

Area 12 IID steering group are holding an

open meeting on the 6th July at 1.30 in the confer-

ence room at Normanton. If you are interested in

joining, maybe would like to help plan campaigns

or just curious about what they do, please come

along. Everyone is welcome, see you there.

Our inclusion policy has been reviewed

and re-signed by Managing Director, Clive

Leadbetter, go take a look, it’s on IBMS+

Home page, Policies and Responsibilities,

Policies, Inclusion at work Policy

Statement

Helping hard to reach groups. The new safety helmets have created a surplus stock of hard hats. Amshu Venkatesha in Area 4 has arranged for some to be given to the charity

Bounceback which helps retrain offenders for the construction industry