Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

Bath Mind’s Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

At Bath Mind, we are committed to fostering a culture of care and promoting zero tolerance to discrimination in any form across our organisation.

We passionately believe in the value of every individual and strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and included.

As a mental health charity, Bath Mind recognises our responsibility to address equality, diversity, inclusion, and equity (EDIE) across all aspects of our work.

We acknowledge that marginalised communities are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions and often face greater challenges in accessing support and achieving positive outcomes.

How we champion the importance of lived experience:

• Actively listening to those with lived experiences of mental health and discrimination.
• Providing platforms for feedback to both our staff and clients.
• Being committed to addressing issues of discrimination whenever they arise.
• Aiming to reflect the diverse experiences, backgrounds, and expertise of the Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES) community.
• Recognising the power that diversity of thoughts and experiences can add to enhancing our services.

Additionally, we are committed to implementing outreach and targeted services that cater to the specific needs of these communities, ensuring equitable access to mental health resources and support.

Our EDIE Vision and Values

Below you will find our vision and strategic aims for EDIE at Bath Mind. These reflect our goals and dedication to fostering a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Bath Mind’s key commitments to EDIE are:

• To be a place of tolerance, support respect and inclusion
• For EDIE to be a priority for all across the organisation, including our staff, volunteers, Trustees, clients and community stakeholders.
• To trailblaze ‘good practice’ in inclusion in the BaNES community
• To reflect and serve the rich diversity in experience, backgrounds and expertise in our local community
• To strengthen lived experience co-production across our organisation and BaNES 

Staff Networks and Working Groups

As an organisation that prioritises the mental health and wellbeing of all, we are determined to create meaningful and lasting equitable change across our charity.

At Bath Mind, it’s important that our staff and volunteers feel empowered  to contribute  to decision-making processes and co-produce solutions that promote inclusion and diversity within our organisation.

By amplifying the voices of our staff and volunteers, we strengthen our collective ability to champion EDIE initiatives and drive positive change both within our organisation and in the wider community. 

We have active staff and volunteer networks for staff and volunteers including our Staff EDIE Network and our EDIE Managerial Working Group. New staff and volunteers are encouraged to ask questions and join if they’re interested.

Members of the network may identify as having a protected characteristic, as outlined by the Equality Act 2010. This could include being:

• A member of the LGBTQ+ community
• A member of the non-binary community
• A member of the BIPOC (Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour) community

Or, having:

• A disability
• Experience of neurodiversity

However, many of our network and working group members are keen allies and wish to know how to support their peers, colleagues, and clients in the best way possible.

Meeting monthly, both groups offer a safe and welcoming space to discuss topical issues and raise questions, concerns, or feedback on how we can strengthen our EDIE strategies at Bath Mind.

We also have three subgroups: the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), Neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ subgroups, which offer a safe space for peer support for staff and volunteers who identify as being a part of these respective communities