Equalities Podcast

METRO Charity

To mark the ten-year anniversary of the Equality Act coming into law on 1st October 2010, we have been reflecting on the significance of the word ‘equality’ and what it means to us as a charity. In this podcast series, our Head of Insight Emma Jones, speaks with senior leaders in the charity, both members of our paid staff team as well as those who contribute voluntarily to realising our commitment to equality and diversity. To find out more about METRO and our services, visit www.metrocharity.org.uk

Episodes

  1. 12/17/2021 · BONUS

    Disability History Month 2021: METRO GAD Discussion

    We are delighted to launch a feature episode of our Equalities Podcast as we mark Disability History Month 2021 In this episode, our Emma Jones speaks to a group of current and former colleagues and management committee members of METRO GAD, formerly GAD (Greenwich Association of Disabled People). GAD was founded in 1975 emerging through the Independent Living Movement in the USA and UK and associated political and human rights activism with the objective to promote their welfare and rights as disabled people and for the wider community who live, work or study primarily within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, including by assisting such persons to obtain their full rights and privileges as citizens. Post its merger in 2019 becoming part of the METRO family METRO GAD continues to be led by disabled people for disabled people, with its own independent management committee. This approach reflects the disability rights maxim Nothing About Us Without Us. Podcast guests:  John Ley - Co-Chair of the METRO GAD management committee and METRO Charity trustee Sue Elsegood - current management committee member Matthew Goodsell - management committee member Angela Smith - newly elected member of the management committee and former GAD employee Michael Farley - newly elected management committee member. Kate Brown - newly elected management committee member. Find out more about METRO's services on our website. To continue the conversation around equalities use #EqualitiesPodcast and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

    1h 11m
  2. 11/03/2020

    Barbara Gray

    In this episode Emma speaks with METRO Trustee Barbara Gray. Barbara was born and still lives in South London. Her parents who arrived from Jamaica met in London in 1950s, and set out on an adventure.  In Wandsworth, Barbara attended a comprehensive school for 2000 girls.  Her first job was with a publishing house where she worked as PA to Graham Greene (nephew to the great author). She went on in 1976, to work in the community sector with the Martin Luther King Foundation in Balham, supporting mainly Caribbean and growing African and Asian populations into employment and training.  Her next role, in public relations for British Gas HQ, taught her the importance of brand reputation and she became versed in the workings of national policy and politics, and the power of the media.  It’s there that she also learned about corporate social responsibility through community projects.  1989 saw a significant change when Barbara became an Executive Assistant to the Leader of Lewisham Council and worked in a number of roles, ending her career in 2010, after 6 years in economic development working with Lewisham communities to narrow economic and equalities gaps and improve the local economy through regeneration. She since founded and leads Urban Dandelion CIC.  In 2019-2020 Barbara was Mayoress of Lewisham.  A resident of Lewisham for over thirty years, Barbara became a Trustee of Voluntary Action for Lewisham in 2015, and METRO Charity since formation of METRO VAL. She is also a Trustee for METRO. Find out more about METRO's services on our website. To continue the conversation around equalities use #EqualitiesPodcast and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

    41 min

About

To mark the ten-year anniversary of the Equality Act coming into law on 1st October 2010, we have been reflecting on the significance of the word ‘equality’ and what it means to us as a charity. In this podcast series, our Head of Insight Emma Jones, speaks with senior leaders in the charity, both members of our paid staff team as well as those who contribute voluntarily to realising our commitment to equality and diversity. To find out more about METRO and our services, visit www.metrocharity.org.uk