I am very proud to have set up Diverse Matters. I am passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion and representation and set up the consultancy to help organisations create workplaces and services where people feel respected, valued and are able to thrive. My early career includes supporting adults and children with learning disabilities, youth work, running a mentoring project for Black and Mixed race young people, working in a Caribbean community organisation and working with the long terms unemployed. Later in my career I held Head of EDI/Wellbeing roles. All of this led me to set up the consultancy. My whole career in one way or another has been focused on inequalities, representation, accessibility and inclusion.
Drawing on a career rooted in equality, diversity and inclusion, I established Diverse Matters to provide practical, thoughtful and evidence-informed support to organisations seeking meaningful and sustainable change. The consultancy works with clients to move beyond good intentions, helping them understand the barriers experienced by underrepresented and marginalised groups and translate that understanding into clear, achievable action. I also wanted to do it with joy, honesty, and passion – also not being afraid to have a difficult conversation.
Diverse Matters initially set out specialising in supporting voluntary and public sector organisations but due to the expertise of the team and the positive feedback we received we widened our remit to support all sectors. We provide consultancy, training, organisational reviews, policy development, inclusive leadership support and advice on creating more accessible and equitable cultures, systems and services.
A defining strength of Diverse Matters is its ability to combine strategic insight with a highly personal and collaborative approach. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, we work closely with each organisation to understand its context, challenges and ambitions. This enables Diverse Matters to provide tailored recommendations that are realistic, relevant and capable of delivering lasting impact.
The consultancy’s work has contributed to improved inclusion outcomes by increasing organisational awareness, strengthening leadership confidence, identifying gaps in existing practice and helping clients develop more inclusive policies, behaviours and ways of working. Through honest conversations and constructive challenge, Diverse Matters enables organisations to recognise where change is needed while giving them the tools and confidence to take that change forward.
The team is particularly committed to ensuring that inclusion is not treated as a standalone initiative, but as an essential part of organisational culture, decision-making and service delivery. This approach has helped clients embed inclusion more effectively, improve the experiences of employees and service users, and create environments in which a wider range of people can contribute and succeed.
Diverse Matters is also distinguished by its intersectional approach. We recognise that people’s identities and experiences are complex and that disadvantage cannot always be understood through a single lens. By bringing nuance, empathy and professional expertise to its consultancy work, Diverse Matters helps organisations respond more effectively to the realities of the people they employ and serve.
The nomination for Consultancy of the Year at the Inclusive Awards reflects the quality, integrity and impact of this work. It recognises not only the expertise that our team brings to the field, but also the trusted relationships Diverse Matters has built with its clients and the tangible progress it has helped them achieve. Even with the rollback and negativity towards EDI, I love what I do and would not change my career path.
Through Diverse Matters we continue to champion a practical and human-centred vision of inclusion: one that encourages organisations to listen, learn, take responsibility and create meaningful change. The consultancy’s success lies in its ability to make complex inclusion challenges understandable, manageable and actionable, while never losing sight of the people whose lives and experiences sit at the heart of the work.
We also know what we ‘are not’ and part of our approach is also working with our trusted partners. We know our strengths but also where we refer due to another organisation’s expertise – for example we refer for support required for neurodiversity, menopause, e learning, mediation – as we still want high level services for our clients even if we are not delivering the work ourselves.
