COMMUNITY TEAM ATTEND DISABILITY EQUALITY TRAINING

Last week, our team was really lucky to attend incredibly insightful Disability Equality Training led by Purple Tuesday and the fantastic Chamiah Dewey.  Chamiah is the founder of the bran DEWEY, the UK's first fashion brand for short stature people under 5ft. Offering stylish, timeless pieces, made with the planet in mind. Chamiah’s knowledge and passion for inclusivity radiated the room and is what made the session so interesting.

Navigating the employment landscape can be challenging for individuals with disabilities (and, to be fair, anyone at the moment!), and this session really emphasised importance and the value of creating truly inclusive workplaces.

From understanding the daily hurdles faced by disabled individuals to recognising the incredible value they bring to teams, the session was a deep dive into the world of diversity and inclusion. We discussed the importance of language when referring to disabled people, but also the use of clear and unambiguous language in working environments to make them more accessible.

Camden has a strong network of community organisations representing the disability community, it is our responsibility to work with these organisations as well as our own internal Learning and Development team to better understand the requirements and reasonable adjustments which need to be made for disabled citizens. As a charitable social enterprise, it’s our purpose to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of people in our local and diverse communities. Our equality, diversity and inclusion policy ensures this purpose is delivered across all GLL facilities in a vibrant, equitable and inclusive way.

GLL is committed to building a workforce within Camden that reflects the diversity of the local community and brings the benefit of a wide range of backgrounds and experience. It is GLL’s ambition that Camden’s leisure centres are provided for Camden’s people, by Camden’s people. GLL will continue to recruit locally, growing the proportion of staff in Camden who are residents.

Recruiting disabled talent isn't just a checkbox—it's an investment in a richer, more innovative, and empathetic work environment. Sessions like this continue to inspire us to champion diversity and create spaces where everyone's unique abilities are not only recognised but celebrated! Thank you Chamiah for such an inspirational afternoon!