Many reports have been published looking into the barriers to ethnic inclusion. One of the newest reports is the ‘Changing the World from Within’ report which was commissioned by Wildlife and Countryside Link. 

The report highlighted some important findings about environmental organisations:

• Many senior leaders were unable to provide definitions for terms such as ‘ethnic minority’
• Some senior leaders were so concerned about getting terminology wrong they were at risk of not addressing the issue at all
• Most leaders agreed that increasing ethnic diversity should be a top priority, but many had not developed an action plan for progressing the work
• 100% of visible minority ethnic staff said there was racism within the sector
   

The specific barriers to change identified were:

• A lack of capacity and competing priorities
• A lack of ethnically diverse recruitment pools
• Societal issues
• A lack of an organisational agreement as to ‘why increased ethnic diversity matters to our specific mission’.
   

Full Colour, who undertook the research, have worked with Wildlife and Countryside Link and members to create a Route Map in response to the report. This Route Map provides step by step advice to create greater diversity over a 5 year period. The Wildlife Trusts will be using sections of this route map to strengthen our journey to greater ethnic diversity that we have already started. 

The development of the route map has kindly been funded by Natural England, John Ellerman Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
 

Click here to read The Wildlife Trusts journey so far, including a case study from Aaron Bhambra who completed his Natural Prospects traineeship with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and is now working on his PhD in Landscape Ecology, completing research linked to the Purple Horizons heathland restoration project in Walsall. 

Dr Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “Too many people feel excluded from nature and too many people still feel excluded from the nature sector.

"Our research shows that there's a great appetite for change in the environment movement. People want to be part of an inclusive, diverse and socially progressive movement. They know that saving nature will depend on the talents and energy of everyone working together. It also shows that despite this conviction, many organisations are still in the starting blocks on diversity and inclusion.

"The aim of the route map is to empower the movement to change and to hold ourselves to account to ensure that it happens.”

Craig Bennett, Chief Executive, The Wildlife Trusts said:  “We have known for a while that wide-ranging and urgent action is needed to ensure that we change our ways in order to increase the number of people from minority ethnic communities who would like to make their career in nature conservation. This new report marks a serious benchmark for green groups – we must all reassess the way we operate and act now to become more inclusive.

 “The Wildlife Trusts have made steady progress since the survey leading to the report was undertaken and we’ve made good strides to become more diverse – but substantial work still needs to be done. We need to offer young people the right opportunities to connect with nature and we must make sure that our trainee schemes are accessible, and that we recruit in a way which encourages people to want to stay with us. The status quo is not acceptable. Everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from nature and it’s important that The Wildlife Trusts represent everyone, including people from minority ethnic communities.” 

Full Colour CEO and founder Srabani Sen OBE, said:

 “Our research has offered a unique insight into what is helping and hindering the environment sector from becoming more diverse. It’s clear that the will to change is there, but organisations were unclear where to start and what action to take to create change. There is still a huge mountain to climb in removing the barriers to entry and career progression that people of colour face, and in making these organisations truly welcoming and inclusive places to work.

“The route map provides a clear framework to create consistent change in the sector, and common aims and milestones for environment charities to work towards together, to achieve a more diverse and representative nature sector within 5 years. The guidebook provides practical, step by step guidance which each organisation can tailor to their own organisation so they can move from ambition to action.”