Building more inclusive organisations: reflections from our EDI Mini Conference 2026

Last Thursday, we welcomed voluntary, community and public-sector colleagues to our VASWS Mini Conference: Building confidence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for you and your organisation, held at St Nicolas’ Church in Guildford.

The event was sold out, bringing people together for an engaging and practical morning exploring what Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) means in practice — and, importantly, what we can each do to make our organisations and communities more inclusive.

Led by Ali Fisher from Plans with Purpose, the interactive workshop encouraged participants to look beyond EDI as a policy or tick-box exercise and think about how it can become part of everyday organisational culture and behaviour.

From uncertainty to confidence

One of the most encouraging aspects of the feedback was the shift in how participants described feeling about EDI during the session.

At the beginning, responses included words such as “nervous”, “worried”, “uneasy”, “questioning” and “misunderstood”, alongside recognition that EDI is important.

By the end of the workshop, participants were describing themselves as “more confident”, “inspired”, “empowered”, “positive” and “excited”. Other responses included “there's hope”, “want to change”, “put tools into practice” and “not just a tickbox”.

That movement from uncertainty towards confidence and action captures exactly what we hoped the session would achieve.

Why does EDI matter?

Participants were also asked to consider the “why” behind EDI in their own organisations.

Their responses highlighted a wide range of reasons, from ensuring people feel welcome and respected, to reaching all parts of the community and providing better, more relevant services.

Other themes included:

• creating a stronger sense of belonging

• understanding and responding to different lived experiences

• encouraging better ideas and cooperation

• making services more accessible and relevant

• creating a better culture among colleagues

• recognising that fairness and inclusion are ethically important

• helping organisations evolve and improve.

  
  

It was a useful reminder that EDI isn't separate from good organisational practice. It is part of how we understand our communities, support our colleagues and deliver effective services.

Turning reflection into action

The workshop wasn't just about understanding EDI — it was about identifying practical actions that people could take away and apply.

Participants reflected on tools including PAUSE, Active Bystander Intervention, Allyship and Active Supporting, with feedback highlighting the importance of listening, being curious, questioning assumptions, learning from lived experience and being willing to challenge uncomfortable behaviour.

Some of the actions participants identified included:

Listen. Take time to hear people's experiences and ask the right questions.

Be curious. Don't assume you understand someone else's experience.

Pause. Take time to think before responding or speaking.

Challenge. Be prepared to call out behaviour or comments that aren't inclusive.

Keep learning. Recognise that EDI is an ongoing process rather than something that can simply be completed.

Be an active ally. Support others through action, rather than defining allyship for yourself.

What will participants take back to their organisations?

The feedback showed that the workshop prompted both personal reflection and organisational thinking.

Personal takeaways included greater awareness of privilege, recognising the importance of lived experience, reflecting on personal practice, challenging assumptions, listening and learning, and feeling more confident about intervening as a bystander. One participant summed up their takeaway simply as: “EDI isn't scary!” 

At an organisational level, participants identified the need to embed EDI in organisational culture, keep learning, take responsibility and accountability, and make sure people feel “welcome, included and valued.” There was also recognition that meaningful change can come through small, consistent changes in culture and practice.

Thank you

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, contributed openly to the discussions and shared their reflections.

The feedback has shown us that there is both a strong appetite to keep learning about EDI and a real commitment to putting that learning into practice.

Our challenge now is to keep the conversation going — to stay curious, listen to different experiences, reflect on our own practice and turn good intentions into meaningful action.

Thank you to Ali Fisher from Plans with Purpose for leading such an engaging and thought-provoking session, and to everyone who helped make the VASWS EDI Mini Conference 2026 such a positive and purposeful event.

This is just the beginning.