Date

30 April 2024

Time

18:00 BST to 19:45 BST

Most questions in life have lots of different answers, but this doesn’t mean they are wrong or right – What is the best chocolate bar? Where is the best place to eat in Bradford? What football team do you support?   Hosted by Nick Ahad, BBC Broadcaster and writer, during this talking circle event, attendees will be asked questions relevant to the Bradford district and by moving into the talking circle, attendees will be able to share their answers to the questions based on their experience and expertise.   You can choose to attend as a listener or a participant. Listening attendees will listen to the event and participants will be able to enter the talking circle and answer questions asked by the host.   From the event we hope to demonstrate that for every question there are lots of answers, and different voices and perspectives can help us to think about things differently. 

Date

30 April 2024

Time

13:00 BST to 14:30 BST

Menopausal women represent the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce. On average, menopause occurs around the age of 51, and approximately 80% of women in this phase are employed. Three out of four experience symptoms, and one in four consider leaving their jobs due to the menopause challenges. How are organisations supporting women experiencing menopause? What resources are accessible to managers and colleagues to support women navigating this important period of their lives? How do we create a more inclusive culture? Why is male advocacy important?   

Date

27 April 2024

Time

11:00 BST to 15:00 BST

This year the theme for the festival is 'What a Difference!' and the Community Day will be packed with fun activities that bring projects and research from across the city to life. Ranging from testing space satellites that can help us look after our planet, creating your own superhero ready to fight social injustice, finding out how AI is helping to save lives, taking part in a rowing challenge with the PaOARmedics and much more.Join us for a day filled with music, food and the opportunity to find out how people in Bradford are making a difference! The Community Open Day is FREE for everyone to attend. Held on the University of Bradford campus, the venues are accessible and the activities have been created for people aged from 6yrs+ to enjoy.  You don't need to book to attend, but if you can let us know if you are thinking about coming, it will help us to make sure everyone has a great time. Register your interest.

Date

26 April 2024

Time

19:00 BST to 21:30 BST

** Please note this event is now FULLY booked. We have added a waiting list for those that are interested in attending and will notify individuals when tickets become free. ** Join us for a night of laughter as we explore the funny side of difference and intersectionality, as part of UNIfy Festival 2024.  Bradford has a long history in welcoming people from across the globe and is now one of the most ethnically diverse and youngest cities in the UK. This diversity has created a rich blend of history and culture that is soon to be celebrated in 2025 as Bradford becomes the UK’s City of Culture.  Delivered in partnership with Theatre in the Mill, this unique evening will welcome women from the Women’s Comedy Workshops to put a lighted-hearted spin on exploring the good, the bad and the ugly of difference and intersectionality within our city.  The Women's Comedy Workshops is a series of workshops specifically designed for women and those who identify as female, introducing the group to the liberating world of stand-up. The programme takes place over a period of a few weeks, where the participants are given the opportunity to develop their comedic skills and talent. The sessions culminate in a stand-up comedy event where each performer shares their new routine with a friendly audience, that’s us!

Date

25 April 2024

Time

12:00 BST to 13:30 BST

We’re living in a fast paced, turbulent world, where national conversations around immigration, international conflict, gender and sexuality and religion is unfolding right at our doorstep and at an alarming pace.  When people often feel silenced, people take to the streets or social media in protest.  This is where the need for creating psychological safe spaces comes in. Whether we like it or not; local, regional, national or international issues affect us, and they impact more than you think.   Often organisations try to contain their messages or attempt to remain neutral.  But this sometimes sends out the message that organisations simply do not care.    Creating safe spaces can take place anywhere or with little as two people, the idea isn’t to reach a conclusion or specific action, but to listen. It is where voices, opinions, questions, and beliefs can be exchanged without fear of judgement or retribution.  Managed correctly, psychological safe spaces can make people feel they belong, that they are heard, valued, and understood, it also can support understanding of others, promote trust and mutual respect.  In the real world, we can see good examples of where these spaces can foster practical steps to building peace or bridge between our differences.   Spaces for conversations are crucial if we want to create environments where people can bring their whole selves to work. The opposite of belonging can be devastating leading to detachment, feelings of neglect and resentment as well as discrimination and general poor mental and physical health, which in the long term isn’t productive or good for society. We will be joined by an exciting panel to share examples of how psychological safe spaces have been delivered for a wide range of topics and audiences, and to share the difference and impact that this has made.  Although there is no one way of delivering psychological safe spaces, there are some general principles and good practices that we hope you will be able to take away with you to create your own psychological safe spaces to help unlock the full potential of your organisation, and to make a difference to the happiness and wellbeing of your colleagues.   This event is primarily targeted at colleagues that work in staff engagement, EDI and HR, although we welcome anyone that has an interest in this topic to join.  Panellist Biographies:  Zahra Niazi, Strategic Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for The Wellbeing Board  Zahra is the Strategic Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for the lead strategic partnership; the Wellbeing Board.  She has led on several programmes on diversifying representation, promoting equal opportunity and integration and inclusion at local, national and international level. Zahra is a compassionate voice for social mobility of communities particularly those from low socio-economic backgrounds.  Marianne Cuthbertson, Strategic Equity Diversity and Inclusion lead at Incommunities  Marianne is the Strategic Equity Diversity and Inclusion lead at Incommunities. Marianne has taken a fresh approach to embedding inclusivity, leading with transparency through the design and delivery of their EDI strategic plan, to guide their journey at Incommunities. Marianne is also co-chair of the Yorkshire and Humber EDI Steering group, as well as being part of the National Housing Federation EDI Advisory Group working to drive inclusivity across the sector.   Liz Firth, Secondary Advisor at The Linking Network  Liz Firth is a Secondary Advisor at The Linking Network, a national charity based in Bradford which works with schools to support children and young people to explore identity, build connections & strengthen communities so we can all live well together. Liz has a background in creative community based work to address inequalities and initiatives which use dialogue to build cohesion.  Kaneez Khan MBE, Faith and Communities Coordinator for Wellsprings Together Kaneez Khan is the Faith and Communities Coordinator for Wellsprings Together, a network of Christian charities that are committed to tackling poverty and transforming communities. She is also a Non Executive Director at Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust, and has recently founded Primrose Consultancy Yorkshire. Kaneez dedicates her work to creating safe spaces and cultures that promote understanding and collaboration. In recognition of this, and for her contribution to fostering interfaith relationships in West Yorkshire, she was awarded an MBE in 2021. Harnek Panesar, Dignity and Respect Support Manager at the University of Bradford Harnek Panesar is the Dignity and Respect Support Manager at the University of Bradford where he is responsible for managing the university's Dignity and Respect Report and support system. Before this role he worked for Leeds City Council as a Voice, Influence and Change Coordinator, ensuring that the voices of children and care leavers were heard, listened to and actioned into meaningful change by their corporate parents. Harnek also supported staff support groups, to ensure that there was structural and institutional change for individuals from protected characteristics, and delivered training on making Leeds a restorative city, through conversations with seldom heard groups.