Aid Box Community

Who we are

Aid Box Community provides support, supplies and sanctuary to over 5000 refugees and people seeking asylum in Bristol. Our Welcome Hub is a safe space where people can come to be part of our community, for a chat and a cuppa, signposting to our partner services or just to escape isolation and build friendships. We also have a Free Shop where we provide a choice of free, quality items donated by the public - from clothing, toiletries household toys, to electrical items. We run a Connections program connecting people for friendship, Women’s and Men’s Activity Groups and hold a crisis fund and bus fund. All with loads of Love and Hope.  

Our vision is that the rights of refugees and those seeking asylum are respected so that they have the opportunity to achieve financial and emotional independence.   

Our mission is to provide a warm welcome to people seeking asylum in Bristol and to offer the support they need to access living essentials, emotional support, recreation, shelter, community, legal advice, health care and employment.    

Our Values are to welcome all displaced people regardless of their faith, race, ethnicity, culture, age, disability, gender and sexuality. Treat everyone with respect, compassion and love and seek to offer hope, advocacy and a space to belong. 

Our culture and values

We are a small staff team supported by a huge team of amazing volunteers, trustees and donors. We are passionate about improving the lives of our service users, proactive and creative and ready to respond to a crisis

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

ABC are committed to considering equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We strive to work to eliminate any unlawful or unfair discrimination including direct or indirect discrimination, discrimination by association, discrimination linked to a perceived characteristic, harassment, and victimisation. We aim to support and represent everyone in the ABC community regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief or disability. 

We are proactive in taking steps to ensure inclusion and engagement for all the people who work for and with us. 

We continue to strive towards a culture that is diverse and inclusive that recognises and develops the potential of all staff, volunteers and service users and treats everyone fairly.  

Relevant regulations and standards  

We adhere to the following equality legislation and associated Codes of Practice:  

▪ Equality Act 2010  

▪ Employment Rights Act 1996  

▪ Part time working regulations 2000  

▪ Rehabilitation of Offenders Act  

▪ Equal Pay Act 1970  

Definitions  

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion  

a. Equality: is not about treating everyone the same, instead equality is about treating people fairly according to their needs. This protects people from discrimination on the grounds of protected characteristics.  

b. Diversity: visible and non-visible differences are appreciated and valued in the organisation and its activities. Differences are recognised and managed to make sure everyone’s voice can be heard.  

c. Inclusion: positive action is taken to create an organisation where everyone feels able to make the most of our activities, services and employment opportunities. 

Protected Characteristics: 

The following characteristics are protected by the Equality Act 2010: 

• Age 

• Disability 

• Gender Reassignment 

• Marriage and Civil Partnership (applies only to someone who personally has this characteristic) 

• Pregnancy and Maternity 

• Race (including ethnic origin, colour, citizenship, nationality, and national origin) 

• Religion or Belief 

• Gender 

• Sexual Orientation 

Responsibilities  

Our EDI policy applies to all staff, volunteers, Trustees and everyone working or contracted on behalf of ABC, either in a paid or voluntary capacity.  

Scope 

We are working to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work including:  

• our published information, tools and other resources,  

• our website, social media channels, emails and newsletters  

• our policy work and campaigns  

• our fundraising activities and events  

• how we use your data and the information you share with us 

• and our staff, volunteers and trustees 

Principles 

Our approach to equality and diversity and Inclusion is based on the following principles: 

Fairness - We will work in a way which promotes equality and diversity, and which does not discriminate against any of our team. 

Respect - We will work in partnership with our team to encourage a culture where everyone receives respect and can voice their diverse needs, knowing that they will be heard. 

Honesty - We will work to ensure that our practices are transparent and open to scrutiny. 

Providing opportunity - We will work towards a culture where everyone in our team has the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

Expertise and excellence - We will work to high standards to ensure that the diverse needs of our team are recognised and met. 

Achieving Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. 

We take measures to encourage and support people from diverse groups, or with different needs, to take part in charity activities and to access our services.  

As an employer and service provider, we take positive action where we feel or have evidence that people with a certain protected characteristic are at a disadvantage, have different needs that are not being met, or are under-represented.  

The aim of these measures is to meet the needs of different groups, encourage them to ensure they are well represented, and to enable participation. 

We are committed to: 

• Playing an active role in upholding our equality, diversity, and inclusion statement 

• Taking part in corporate and local training and awareness programmes to equip the team with the skills and knowledge they need to understand and meet the needs of colleagues and service users 

• Making a commitment to be involved and become a diversity champion 

Reasonable adjustments  

ABC has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate the employment of disabled people. These may include making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment processes or to support disabled people working for us. We will also make reasonable adjustments where possible to enable disabled people to access our services, activities and events.  

Implementation  

The Board of Trustees expects and will give guidance when applicable to the Senior Leadership Team (Directors) to:  

• Lead, manage and review the implementation of this policy across all areas of the charity’s work and respond to instances of concerns.  

Recruit staff, Trustees and volunteers in accordance with EDI principles ensuring we promote and support diversity across our staff, sub committees, panels and groups. Ensure all staff and Trustees, and relevant volunteers complete EDI training as part of their induction. 

• Promote equality, inclusivity and diversity to ensure we represent and meet the needs of the ABC Community. 

 • Ensure EDI is considered and included in all guidance, policies and processes for all staff and volunteers across all charity activities and that these reflect recognised best practice.  

Ensure procedures are in place for dealing with any EDI allegations against, and concerns about, any staff or volunteers 

• Ensure all staff and volunteers comply with the EDI policy and ensure any concerns are reported and investigated without delay.