Addressing inequity and embracing diversity at Two Ridings
At Two Ridings, our vision is simple: communities where everyone can flourish. But flourishing isn’t possible when people are excluded, unheard or held back. Across North & East Yorkshire, too many people still face barriers because of identity, circumstance or inequality.
That’s why equity, diversity and inclusion sit at the heart of who we are and how we work. They guide our decisions as a funder, shape how we bring people together, and underpin our mission to build strong, connected communities where everyone has a fair chance to take part.
We’re committed to:
- Equity — recognising that not everyone starts from the same place and actively removing barriers so people can access opportunities and support.
- Diversity — listening to and learning from the wide range of experiences, identities and perspectives across our region.
- Inclusion — creating spaces where everyone feels safe, respected and able to contribute, especially those whose voices are often overlooked.
We hold ourselves accountable to these principles as an employer, a funder and a partner to communities. We aim to go beyond legal requirements and continually improve, so our work genuinely reflects and supports the people we’re here for.
How we put this into practice
A committed organisation
With a mission to inspire giving that brings people together, strengthens community, and makes life better for everyone, people are a priority in everything we do. For several years our EDI working group, made up of staff and trustees, helped us recognise blind spots, challenge ourselves and take meaningful steps towards being a more inclusive and anti‑racist organisation. We now discuss and champion EDI team-wide.
EDI shapes all our policies and practices, from recruitment and procurement to how we design and deliver our grant making.
We comply with equality and anti‑discrimination legislation, but our ambition is to go further: to build a culture rooted in fairness, openness and respect.
Our people
We know our staff and board do not yet reflect the full diversity of our region. We’re gathering better data, listening to our teams and being transparent about where we are now and where we need to improve.
- Staff team (April 2026): 84% women (36–59), 18% men (36–59). We are currently exploring socio‑economic background and disability representation.
- Board of Trustees (April 2026): 62.5% women, 37.5% men. A more detailed diversity survey is planned with trustees and will be published in time.
We will continue to review, report and act on this data so we can build a team that better represents the communities we serve.
We plan to improve the diversity of our team and board of trustees to reflect our region better.
Inclusive grant making
We want our funding to be accessible to everyone. Applications can be made online or via Word documents, and we’re actively exploring other formats based on feedback from groups and volunteer assessors.
We’ve phased out PDFs in favour of more accessible formats and working closely with applicants to understand what makes the biggest difference to the most people.
Participatory decision making
We’ve been using participatory decision‑making in several of our grant programmes since 2021, particularly in York and Scarborough. This approach puts people with lived experience of the issues we are supporting at the heart of the process, not just at the end when decisions are made, but right from the start.
People making the decisions help shape every stage of the fund: what it’s for, how the money is allocated, which issues should be prioritised, and who ultimately receives support. They sit on panels, review applications and make the final decisions about how funding is distributed.
It means the people who understand the issues best are the ones guiding the solutions.
Fair recruitment at Two Ridings
We want everyone who applies to work at Two Ridings feel welcomed, respected and able to show their best. Equity, diversity and inclusion sit at the core of who we are, and we’re committed to making our recruitment fair, accessible and free from discrimination.
We know diverse teams make us stronger. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those currently under‑represented at Two Ridings, including people from the global majority, refugee communities and LGBTQ+ people.
As a Disability Confident committed employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. We also encourage candidates to share any access needs so we can make reasonable adjustments throughout the process.
Our approach is simple:
- recruit based on merit, skills and experience
- remove barriers wherever we can
- treat every applicant with dignity and respect
- ensure no one is disadvantaged because of a protected characteristic
We’re continually improving how we recruit so everyone has a fair chance to join our team and bring their full, authentic selves to work.
Where we are at now
We know we can do better. This is an open, honest reflection of where we are right now.
Contact Katherine about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Two Ridings
Call Katherine on 01904 929 500
Email [email protected]