How to prepare for National Inclusion Week 2023

Preparing for National Inclusion Week 2023

National Inclusion Week (Inclusion Week), is a fantastic opportunity to showcase, celebrate and progress your inclusion agenda.

Inclusive Employers, the founders and organisers of Inclusion Week will be hosting a series of events during the week itself, but it is also about organisations creating their own events that acknowledge and inspire their own inclusion agendas and journeys.

This guide is designed to support you to:

• Prepare and plan for an effective National Inclusion Week.
• Communicate your National Inclusion Week plans effectively, internally and externally.
• Have a great week during National Inclusion Week itself.
• Follow up from your National Inclusion Week events effectively, so your efforts from the week are integrated into your inclusion work throughout the year.

1. Prepare and plan

Identify a National Inclusion Week project lead

Identify a National Inclusion Week project lead and team to design and implement your activity. Consider who will be in your team and how you can involve different parts of the organisation; HR, staff networks, leadership teams, procurement, communications. It’s important to ensure your team includes a diverse range of thought and experience.

This is an opportunity to encourage action from across your organisation with a shared focus on inclusion like never before.

Focus on your inclusion objectives

Consider how National Inclusion Week can support you to progress your inclusion objectives.

• What are the inclusion and diversity priorities in your organisation?
• How can you use the National Inclusion Week 2023 theme, #TakeActionMakeImpact, to shine a light on these areas?

You can find out more about the theme  ‘National Inclusion Week 2023 theme overview’.

Plan according to progress

When planning your programme of activity, remember where your organisation is on its inclusion journey. Develop your plans to reflect, support and progress where you are currently at.

For example, if you are starting out, you may want to keep things simple, introducing people to and creating understanding of some of the concepts around inclusion.

Staff networks

Involve your staff networks, Inclusion groups or forums. Talk to them about what events and themes would be appropriate to focus on? Give them responsibility for running events as appropriate.

Key leaders

Encourage key senior leaders to attend internal and external National Inclusion Week events. This sends your colleagues and external partners a positive message about your commitment to inclusion. Attendance and involvement in these events can provide valuable learning opportunities for all involved.

National Inclusion Week Daily Actions

Use the Inclusive Employers National Inclusion Week Daily Actions as a guide and inspiration for your own events. In the toolkit resource ‘National Inclusion Week 2023 Daily Actions’ and National Inclusion Week Daily Actions Overview’ you can find a whole host of daily action resources that provide guidance and ideas on activity for each day of National Inclusion Week.

Delivery methods

Consider the delivery methods that will be most effective for your events and activities.

A combination of platforms may help you engage with more people. For example, webinars, virtual get-togethers with breakouts, physical events, online activities through your intranet, newsletters and social media channels.

Hosting events and activities

Consider when you choose to host your events and activities. Think about what time/days are suitable for as many people as possible. Consider running events at different times on different days to allow for those who start late/finish early, work part time, etc.

National Inclusion Week events

Book your place on National Inclusion Week events hosted by Inclusive Employers.

There will be a series of events before and during National Inclusion Week highlighting various inclusion topics, including events related to the Daily Actions. As you have registered for National Inclusion Week, these are free to attend, so take advantage of all that National Inclusion Week has to offer!

Plan and get approval

When you have considered all of the above, make sure you plan your programme of events and get approval of it in advance. This will give you the opportunity to engage with as many people as possible before and during National Inclusion Week.

Make sure everyone involved in your National Inclusion Week plans are available and has booked time out of their diaries.

Make sure budgets are secured and signed off and any technology or space that is need is booked in advance.

2. Create a communications plan

Team

Work closely with your communications and marketing team – you may have already involved them in your project team. They can support you to generate excitement and engagement with National Inclusion Week across the organisation, so it’s important to involve them early on.

Channels

Consider what channels you can use to communicate most effectively with the different parts of your organisation. Email, posters, intranet, Teams, Yammer, and other internal platforms. Develop a communications plan to keep everyone updated with your National Inclusion Week activity.

Prepare

Prepare your communications and get approval on them ahead of time so they’re ready to go when you need to send them.

External communications

Consider how you can communicate your National Inclusion Week activity externally. Thousands of organisations will be using Take Action Make Impact to communicate their National Inclusion Week 2023 plans beyond their own organisation. In the National Inclusion Week toolkit, there are some social media graphics and tools to utilise. Find these in the Images and Logos section of this year’s NIW toolkit.

Remember to follow our dedicated National Inclusion Week on Facebook and Instagram. Use the hashtag #TakeActionMakeImpact, #NationalInclusionWeek2023. You can also tag @InclusiveEmployers on LinkedIn and @IncEmp on Twitter.

Social Media

Develop a social media plan to share your National Inclusion Week activities before and during the week.

Follow our dedicated National Inclusion Week on Facebook and Instagram. Use the hashtag #TakeActionMakeImpact, #NationalInclusionWeek2023. You can also tag @InclusiveEmployers on LinkedIn and @IncEmp on Twitter.

Tag us in all your National Inclusion Week social media activity so we can share your participation too!