Savills is celebrating Pride across the UK this month, holding a number of events across the country from a Pride-themed bake off in Inverness, to taking part in the parade in Cardiff. This year, we are also proud to be partnering with the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), the LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity, hosting a special afternoon tea at our London headquarters to raise both money and awareness. What is more, anyone who has visited our Margaret Street office lately would have seen our colourful window display.
While Pride month is, of course, a great way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, we want to ensure inclusivity all year round. Our LGBTQ+ network, which is part of Savills’ wider diversity and inclusion programme, now has over 85 members and continues to grow.
Supporting people who identify as LGBTQ+ is also crucial and there are numerous tools that employees have access to. One example is MYNDUP, which provides mental health advice to Savills staff. The service provides dedicated resources to the LGBTQ+ community, candidly discussing the unique roadblocks they might encounter, such as finding understanding therapists, dealing with stigma and seeking safe spaces for care.
It is important for Savills to have an HR representative embedded in the LGBTQ+ group so that all the firm’s policies meet the needs of our LGBTQ+ employees. This includes our Trans Equality Policy, which is there to provide assistance throughout an individual’s transition.
This year also marks the 20-year anniversary of the cessation of Section 28, legislation that prohibited the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ by local authorities. We are also, therefore, proud to be celebrating two decades of progress, which has seen the real estate industry fully embrace diversity and inclusion.
Natalie Leask is regional HR director and HR representative for the LGBTQ+ network at Savills