National Inclusion Week takes place on 25 September – 1 October and is a week dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces​.  

This year’s theme is Take Action, Make Impact – a powerful message which aims to get us thinking about what actions we can take and the positive impact these actions could and should have for marginalised colleagues. 

One way we can Take Action is by being an ally to others, so here at Carnival UK, we’ll be focusing on the importance of allyship.  

What is an ally?  

An ally is often defined as someone who is not a member of a marginalised group but wants to support and take action to help others in that group. Being an ally every day is important, whether you’re a friend, employee, team leader, manager, or director, you need to be an ally for those around you.​  

Throughout NIW we’ll be taking a closer look at how we can all be better allies, by learning, listening, and advocating on behalf of others.  

What’s on for NIW? 

• (Learn) Monday 25 September – One of the first steps towards being a good ally is to invest in learning and get an understanding of the issues and barriers that a marginalised group might face. On Monday we’ll be sharing some useful resources and recommended reading to support you with this. 

• (Listen & Learn) Tuesday 26 September, A Conversation with Dr Emily Pattinson, 13:00 on Teams  
  Athena will be joined by Dr Emily Pattinson (They/She/He) from Inclusive Employers for a discussion and Q&A about inclusion in the workplace and their experience as a non-binary person.  Save the Teams event to your diaries and add your questions for Emily, to Slido, here by Friday 22 September. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions on the day.  

• (Listen & Learn) Wednesday 27 September – ELN Showcase, 10:00-12:00, The Atrium 
  Meet members of CUK’s Employee Led Networks for a chat, and find out more about what the networks need from you as an ally and the ways you can get involved. Free hot drinks and treats will be provided!  
   
• (Listen & Learn) Thursday 28 September – Lunch and Learn with Ambitious about Autism, 13:00, Teams and Las Palmas Room. 
  m’Power and members of our Technology Team will be joined by Jade Fuller from Ambitious about Autism, a charity who stand with autistic children and young people to champion their rights, campaign for change and create opportunities. The charity recently worked with our Technology team at Carnival UK to help us access a talent pool that is largely untapped due to a lack of knowledge and experience. By working with Ambitious About Autism, the team learned how they can make adjustments to successfully source talent for two roles. The Technology Team will share more about their experience and what they’ve learned from working with the charity. Join via Teams or come along in person if you’re in the office! Save the event to your diaries.

• (Advocate) Friday 29 September – To close the week, we’ll be looking at the ways we can Take Action and advocate for others. Keep an eye on The Insider for some ideas on how to do this, including setting an inclusive goal for 2024.  

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The diversity of people on our ships is one of the things that makes us great, and with many different nationalities working and living on board, being curious and learning about each other is a great way to be more open-minded and play your part in helping everyone to feel respected and included. 

There’s also no better way to learn about a person’s culture than through something we all have in common – food! Keep a look out for some exciting dishes on the menu in the Atrium café throughout the week