National Diversity Awards secretly removes WPUK nomination and wont explain why

[stumbledin]

e received an email in response from the National Diversity Awards:
"Sorry but we could not find any nominations listed for that email address.

Please try contacting us for help.

Regards,

The National Diversity Awards Team

We had, of course, already tried emailing the National Diversity Awards team to ask for help but had received no response.

We tried again. We emailed and outlined the steps we had taken and asked for clarification.

We received another email:

Many thanks for your email and apologies for any inconvenience.

Unfortunately, upon confirming your nomination, we received a number of complaints which are currently being investigated by our advisory panel.

During the nomination process, it is our obligation to review any issues raised and we are committed to ensuring our nominees values align with the inclusive ethos of The National Diversity Awards.

Once our advisory panel have completed their investigation we will be in touch.

Thank you for your understanding.

Given that we had not completed our public profile page, we wondered where “a number of complaints” could have originated from.

We were also astonished that the National Diversity Awards had only informed us that our nomination had been rescinded when we approached them for an explanation.

Read the full and I suppose not that surprising story at womansplaceuk.org/2020/04/17/glittering-prizes-national-diversity-awards/

There seems to be a lack of diversity amongst those listed as Patrons of the National Diversity awards:

Misha B
Singer, Songwriter & Rapper

Peter Tatchell
Activist, Campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation

Drew-Ashlyn Cunningham
My Transexual Summer Star

Peter Norfolk OBE
The Quadfather. Wheelchair Paralympic Quad double Gold medalist

Lewis Hancox
Star of ‘My Transsexual Summer’

Jackie Green
Model, Transsexual Beauty Queen, Miss England hopeful

Clare Harvey
GB Sitting Volleyball Women’s Team & Head of Corporate Responsibility, Financial Services Authority

Jody Cundy
Paralympic Gold Medallist, British Cyclist and Former Swimmer

nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/patrons/

Some groups over represented, huh?

Many groups not represented.

CuriousaboutSamphire I nominated underCommunity Organisation & Gender. The only detail I couldn't find was Town so I put London.

The original nomination was I think from Karen Ingala Smith - see her tweet here twitter.com/K_IngalaSmith/status/1251122260045443079?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Model, Transsexual Beauty Queen, Miss England hopeful

One day if I am very, very good I will be a model and even enter Miss World.

I will be so pretty.
Then I will be a beautiful princess.

My mum used to say ‘beauty is as beauty does’. She was very gorgeous, my mum, but knew that it was only skin deep and that it counted for zilch if what inside wasn’t beautiful.

While some amazing individuals and organisations have won these awards over the years, the National Diversity Awards is not a Charity. It is one of several businesses set up by Paul Sesay aka Paul Steven Sesay aka Paul Steven Smith.

Companies House and web archives are interesting rabbit warrens, as are links between diversity "awards", company "rankings", etc.

There are a number of paths that could be explored

1. The Awards, Categories, Judges and Sponsors

One path would be to consider the composition of the Judging Panel, Sponsors and Host in relation to the "categories" for awards, also historically with an eye on the winners in previous years. For example, looking at how the Awards were doled out in previous years, there is a lot of fudging of categories, eg. LGBT organisations have won awards in the "Age" category.

2. The Organisation, Finances, Personnel

Another would be to look at the organisation itself, including its history and "family tree". For example, there is much talk of "The Diversity Group" on the National Diversity Awards website. (That does makes it sound as if "The Diversity Group" is something that actually exists.)

3. Place in intersecting Industries: Diversity, Awards, Conferences, Training

Yet another would be from the perspective of its place in different industries, eg. the "diversity" industry, the "awards" industry.

Most of the "Awards" are currently looking for "sponsors". What do "Sponsors" get out of it?
archive.vn/aX3v9

4. Follow the Money

As always, you could "follow the money".

Money buys influence and prestige

Rewards (awards dinners, "inclusivity logos", photo-opportunities for "Diversity Champion" CEOs, etc.) are the pay-off for investment in courses, conferences, audits and training, eg. "Understanding Microaggressions and how to address them and create a safe space in the workplace"

Compliance is enforced by the threat of bad publicity should a "badge of honour" be withdrawn: denouncements by tame media and pundits, financial disinvestment, consumer boycotts . . . (sound familiar?)

--

1. The Awards, Categories, Judges and Sponsors

This first path is a bit impressionistic, looking at the info in the bio's on the website and trying to get an idea of whether there is any sort of pattern, such as might reflect a balance of influence.

WPUK notes that:

"The National Diversity Awards lists the following categories as being eligible for recognition:

Age | Disability | Gender | LGBT | Race, Religion & Faith

There is no mention of sex despite sex being a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010."

womansplaceuk.org/2020/04/17/glittering-prizes-national-diversity-awards/

That is only part of the story. Those are the categories for the "Positive Role Model Awards" and there are other Awards but let us stick with those ones for the time being.

Equality Act Protected Characteristics

Age
Sex
Ethnicity
Disability
Sexual orientation
Religion or Belief
Gender reassignment
Marriage/Civil Partnership
Pregnancy/Maternity

Note:

"Sex" has become "Gender"
"Ethnicity" has become "Race",
"Belief" has become "Faith"
"Race" and "Faith" are bundled in with "Religion"
"Sexual Orientation" and "Gender Reassignment" have been bundled together as "LGBT".

Looking at the bio's for Judges and Patrons, the "National Diversity Awards" as an organisation seems to be strangely un-diverse in terms of representation of "LGBT categories", ie. "LGBT" = "T".

Of course there could be some invisible Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexual people in there, not so much "out and proud" as "the loves that dare not speak their names in 2020"? Or do not need to speak their names? I don't know. Peter Tatchell, for example, is famously gay and perhaps that is why he does not mention it?

There is an awful lot of talk about people being "their authentic selves" - is this standard "diversity-speak"? I have only come across this term in relation to "transgender issues" so far.

"Race, Religion & Faith" is a curious bundle. None of the Judges or representatives of Sponsoring Companies mention their Religion.

Anyway, here we go, first impressions from the info on the National Diversity Awards website for 2020:

AGE

1. Judge Cathy Earle | Nielsen | HR Director, UK & Ireland

DISABILITY

1. Judge Tom Jamison | Able Magazine | Editor

1. Judge Simon Green | Bridgend Coalition of Disabled People | Chair

1. Judge Danny Crates | Event Speaker – Event Host – TV Presenter – Personal Performance coach - Author – Business Owner - Paralympic Champion and Former World record holder

1. Patron Peter Norfolk OBE (The Quadfather. Wheelchair Paralympic Quad double Gold medalist)

1. Patron Claire Harvey (GB Sitting Volleyball Women’s Team & Head of Corporate Responsibility, Financial Services Authority)

1. Patron Jody Cundy (Paralympic Gold Medallist, British Cyclist and Former Swimmer)

GENDER (?) assuming this means "sex" as per EA2010

Women

1. Judge Carol Jordan | ITV News | Head of Planning

1. Judge Cathy Earle | Nielsen | HR Director, UK & Ireland

1. Judge Manisha Mehrotra | Bloomberg LP | Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA

1. Judge Vanessa Vallely | WeAreTheCity | MD

1. Judge Miranda Wayland | Head of Creative Diversity | BBC

1. Patron Misha B (Singer, Songwriter & Rapper)

1. Patron Claire Harvey (GB Sitting Volleyball Women’s Team & Head of Corporate Responsibility, Financial Services Authority)

1. Host Sally Phillips (British Comic Actress and Writer)

Men

1. Judge Raj Morjaria | Direct Line Group | Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Leadership Development

1. Judge Paul Sesay | The National Diversity Awards | Founder & CEO

1. Judge Christos Tsaprounis FCIPD | Auto Trader UK | Head of People & Culture

1. Judge Tom Jamison | Able Magazine | Editor

1. Judge Simon Green | Bridgend Coalition of Disabled People | Chair

1. Judge Danny Crates | Event Speaker – Event Host – TV Presenter – Personal Performance coach - Author – Business Owner - Paralympic Champion and Former World record holder

1. Patron Peter Tatchell (Activist, Campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation)

1. Patron Peter Norfolk OBE (The Quadfather. Wheelchair Paralympic Quad double Gold medalist)

1. Patron Jody Cundy (Paralympic Gold Medallist, British Cyclist and Former Swimmer)

LGBT

1. Judge Christos Tsaprounis FCIPD | Auto Trader UK | Head of People & Culture

1. Patron Peter Tatchell (Activist, Campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation)

L - ?

G

1. Patron Peter Tatchell (Activist, Campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation)

B - ?

T

1. Judge Ash Palmisciano | TV Actor | Emmerdale

1. Judge Jake Graf | Writer/director/actor, trans advocate

1. Judge Hannah Graf MBE | British Army | Officer

1. Patron Drew-Ashlyn Cunningham (My Transexual Summer Star)

1. Patron Lewis Hancox (Star of ‘My Transsexual Summer’)

1. Patron Jackie Green (Model, Transsexual Beauty Queen, Miss England hopeful)

RACE, RELIGION & FAITH

1. Judge Raj Morjaria | Direct Line Group | Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Leadership Development

1. Judge Paul Sesay | The National Diversity Awards | Founder & CEO

1. Judge Manisha Mehrotra | Bloomberg LP | Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA

1. Judge Miranda Wayland | Head of Creative Diversity | BBC

1. Patron Misha B (Singer, Songwriter & Rapper)