In our 2021 business plan, we outlined our commitment to being an inclusive organisation.
As a starting point, and in line with the National Mind MQM guidelines, we created an equality, diversity and inclusion action plan, detailing our intentions to take positive steps towards reaching and supporting a more diverse representation of service users, and recognising the need to also attract staff and trustees who reflect the demographics of the population within the areas in which we deliver services.
We have made good progress in providing training and educational opportunities for our existing staff such as race awareness, trans awareness, LGBTQ+ and neurodiversity, encouraging open conversations to promote understanding and acceptance. However, we have always been honest about not having all the answers and began to explore how we could better ensure inclusion becomes integral to our culture at Andover Mind.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS ICB prioritise diversity and inclusion to address mental health inequality.
After discussions with our commissioners at the NHS, who requested the recruitment of someone to focus on this topic and offered funding specifically for the purpose of reaching marginalised communities, we are very pleased to announce the appointment of Marcia Ore (pronounced Mar-see-a Or, pronouns: she/her) as Andover Mind’s first communities and inclusion lead.
Marcia will play a crucial role in helping us to develop a new equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, providing insight on how we can encourage and support a more diverse workforce and enhance our service delivery by ensuring we are reaching everyone who needs us, including racialised and LGBTQ+ communities. This important work is integral to our organisation; it applies to everyone within Andover Mind and is essential for our charity’s future sustainability; by demonstrating our capability to engage and support everyone who needs our services, we hope to improve our chances of securing future contracts and funding.
In her first few months with us, Marcia will be meeting with internal and external stakeholders to get to know Andover Mind, and the communities and organisations we serve, identifying areas of good practice and opportunities for improvement, before commencing the strategy delivery and outreach work.
About Marcia Ore
Marcia has extensive experience and knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion, predominantly in the UK and North America.
Her professional life began as a Police Officer serving in two UK police services from 1982 to 2012, holding EDI-related roles such as Vice-chair of the West Midlands Police Black and Asian Police Association, Chair of the National Black Police Association’s Gender & Sexual Orientation subcommittee, and a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers Working Party exploring the career progression of women and Black and Ethnic Minority Police Officers and staff, BritishAssociation of Women in Policing and Women Sergeants Police Federation Representative.
Since Marcia’s transition out of policing, she has held paid and voluntary roles across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including The Prince’s Trust, Catch22, Utilita Energy, UK Atomic Energy Authority as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner and at EMCOR UK as Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. She is on the Advisory Board of Inclusion and Diversity in Nuclear and the UK Chair of Equity & Equality for G100, a global organisation, and on the Board of Trustees of the Independent Provider of Special Education (IPSEA) charity providing legal advice to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Andover Mind are committed to being an inclusive organisation.
We are here to make sure no one has to face a mental health issue alone.
We know that some groups of people experience poorer mental health than others, such as racialised communities, migrants, refugees and sanctuary seekers, LGBTQ+ people and people on low incomes. These groups may also find it harder to access support and have poorer outcomes. We want to make sure that everyone in the communities in which we deliver services know we are an inclusive organisation, and a safe space for anyone who needs us. Our door is always open.
We are confident that Marcia’s expertise will significantly enhance our efforts in promoting inclusivity, diversity and equality and we are looking forward to this next chapter in reaching more people and making sure they get the help and support they deserve.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental ill-health, please get in touch with us by calling 01264 332 297 or by completing our self-referral form. For out of hours support, our Safe Haven in Basingstoke is open 6pm-10pm 365 days a year.
