During 2020, with a global pandemic preventing access to offices, staying in contact with co-workers and building a community feel in the workplace became more difficult. As a result, Principal Consultant, Peter Geering, founded a ‘Frazer-Nash Pride and Allies group’, with the ultimate aim of sharing knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues, experiences, and culture with the rest of the company.
Garnering immediate support from colleagues both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride in Frazer-Nash was formed.
Now with 35 members, the group holds bi-weekly meetings to discuss ways that LGBTQ+ employees’ perspectives can help strengthen the business’s approach to diversity and inclusion and build a sense a belonging for all our people.
Peter says:
“LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK often feel pressure to hide that part of themselves in the workplace, more than 35% of LGBTQ+ employees reported hiding their identity at work, for fear of discrimination. In setting up the Pride and Allies group, Frazer-Nash made a statement to its employees: that we don’t simply accept members of the LGBTQ+ community, we want to support you in thriving. After the initial setup of the group, membership boomed, as employees saw they were valued. We hope to continue to see the group grow, and spread the invaluable message of inclusion and acceptance across the company for years to come.”
Since its formation, the group has:
- Published daily topical articles via the company’s intranet during Pride week in 2021 and 2022, and held social events throughout the week.
- Hosted educational allyship workshops, engaging with employees across the business.
- Held a company-wide competition for employees and their families to submit a new design for the annual Frazer-Nash Pride t-shirt design.
- Chosen Mermaids, a charity supporting trans youth and their families, as the charity of the month.
- The first Pride and Allies group social meet-up took place during Pride 2022, with the 2023 meetup held in February this year.
- Organised the purchase and distribution of rainbow lanyards for employee ID badges.
- Organised a lunch-and-learn for the Bristol office in collaboration with Brigstowe, and a second in the Leatherhead office with Sussex Beacon, both of which are local charities for people living with HIV.
The Pride and Allies group has also reached beyond Frazer-Nash. In January 2023, members of the Pride in Frazer-Nash group held a meet and greet with a team from Frazer-Nash’s parent company, KBR. The two teams will work together so that the whole KBR group may benefit from the sharing of LGBTQ+ experiences.
There is also a focus on engaging with industry partners and other business entities to help build LGBTQ+ awareness, and support others in the engineering sector. Members of the group are currently working with Maritime UK to help develop their own Pride group, and find ways to help improve LGBTQ+ awareness and acceptance across the maritime industry.
In collaboration with Frazer-Nash’s Visible Women network, Pride in Frazer-Nash has an internal mentoring scheme which, when pairing mentors and mentees, considers shared experience with minority characteristics such as gender or sexuality.
Peter adds:
“Plans for the future involve appointing LGBTQ+ representatives for each office, so that new employees can more easily reach out with any LGBTQ+ questions, as well as ordering Pride badges for employees to wear as a mark of solidarity with and support for those within the LGBTQ+ community.”
What do the group’s members have to say?
“Not only has being a member of an active pride group been beneficial and friendly and lovely, I've also been gendered correctly since I started [working here] – right from my interview, which has been incredibly lovely. I feel so welcome and included!”
Anonymous
“In an industry that can feel a bit homogenizing at times, this group is a nice reminder that it's okay to be different.”
Tom, Bristol
“This group provides a safe and comfortable space where we can be ourselves and feel a greater sense of belonging at work.”
Beckett, Burton
“This group helped me connect with others like me, I found I was much less alone in the workplace than I'd thought, and it gave me the courage to be more openly and visibly myself in the workplace.”
Roz, Bristol
"It was clear from my first week at Frazer-Nash how much the company had embraced Diversity and Inclusion as whole, but in particular the LGBTQ+ community. From simple gestures such as rainbow lanyards for employees to show support and allyship with the community, to an established Pride & Allies group that run celebratory events, information sessions, and a provide place for employees to safely discuss issues from both their personal and professional lives. In my 10 years in industry, I have never felt as supported as I do at Frazer-Nash."
Dan, Burton
To find out more about diversity and inclusion at Frazer-Nash, please click here.
