Diverse Matters

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Diverse Matters Diverse Matters is a diversity and inclusion consultancy that works with organisations to embed diversity and inclusion within their practices.

We use a tailored approach to ensure that the services required meets the specific needs of the organisation.

Training should change what people know, how they think and what they do.When the subject matter is diversity, equity an...
08/10/2026

Training should change what people know, how they think and what they do.

When the subject matter is diversity, equity and inclusion, that matters.

At Diverse Matters, our training is designed to move beyond theory and give people the knowledge, understanding and practical tools they can take back into their organisations and apply.

We are delighted to be recognised as a Training Centre of Excellence, with our courses CPD accredited through the CPD Standards Office.

We have been members of the CPD Standards Office since 2024 and have completed its rigorous assessment process to become an accredited CPD provider. Our eligible courses can therefore provide delegates with formal CPD certification alongside learning that is relevant to their professional roles.

That combination is important.

For organisations, it means access to structured, professionally recognised learning that can support people across different roles, sectors and levels of experience.

For delegates, it means being able to evidence their ongoing professional development while developing knowledge they can put into practice.

Our training catalogue covers a broad range of topics, with delivery available face to face or via webinar. And where training is only part of what your organisation needs, we can also provide tailored diversity and inclusion consultancy, from a focused piece of work through to longer-term support.

Because building capability is not about having the right policy sitting on a shelf or completing a course and moving on. It is about developing the understanding and confidence to do things differently.

If that is what you want your learning and development programme to achieve, talk to us about how we can help.



This year’s Black History Month theme, Honouring Our Communities, asks us to recognise the people whose work, leadership...
07/10/2026

This year’s Black History Month theme, Honouring Our Communities, asks us to recognise the people whose work, leadership, advocacy and everyday contribution help shape and strengthen Black communities.

At Diverse Matters, our Diverse Talk Matters podcast has always created space for something particularly important: lived experience.

Because lived experience does more than tell us what happened. It can help us understand where systems are falling short, challenge assumptions and create the impetus for change.

So, this Black History Month, we are revisiting four conversations that put lived experience at the heart of the discussion and shine a light on guests who are making a difference through their professional work and within their communities.

🎙️ Episode 15: Women in the Shade, Black Women in Uniformed Services
Karen Geddes and Marcia Ore

Karen and Marcia share their experiences as Black women in policing, the challenges around representation and support within uniformed services, and the work behind Women in the Shade, an organisation supporting and empowering Black women in uniformed services.

🎙️ Episode 17: How Can Black Women Show Up Authentically?
April Dawn, founder of Creating Equals

April explores the realities Black women face in the workplace, including misogynoir, hair discrimination, racialised trauma and workplace inequality, alongside the importance of safe spaces, cultural competence and meaningful allyship.

🎙️ Episode 24: Black Women and Health Inequalities
Aiesha Alexander and Lorna Phillip

This candid conversation explores the experiences of Black and racialised women in pregnancy, maternity and child health, including personal and professional experiences of maternity care, systemic inequalities and the importance of community support and advocacy.

🎙️ Episode 28: Black Lives Still Matter
Natasha Johnson, co-founder of All Black Lives UK and EDI Lead at St Basil’s Youth Homelessness Charity

Natasha reflects on the 2020 youth-led protests following the murder of George Floyd, the realities of racism and racial trauma, and the importance of moving beyond words towards meaningful action and sustained activism.

These conversations remind us that honouring our communities is not only about looking back. It is about recognising the people doing the work today.
The activists. The professionals. The advocates. The community leaders. The people challenging systems, creating safer spaces, supporting others and using their own experiences to help shape something better for those who come after them.

This Black History Month, we invite you to listen, learn and share these stories.
🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast platform
📺 Watch the conversations on YouTube

Because when lived experience is heard, it can become part of the change.



Natasha Broomfield

October is Black History Month It began in 1987 in the UK, driven by Ghanaian-born Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and a group of act...
02/10/2026

October is Black History Month

It began in 1987 in the UK, driven by Ghanaian-born Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and a group of activists and community leaders who wanted to create greater recognition of Black history, identity and contribution in Britain.

The original ambition was bigger than a month of celebration. It was about making histories and contributions that had too often been overlooked more visible, particularly for young people growing up in Britain.

Nearly 40 years later, Black History Month remains an opportunity to ask some important questions.

Whose stories are we telling?
Whose contributions are we recognising?
And what happens when October is over?

This year’s UK theme is Honouring Our Communities, with a focus on the people whose everyday contributions help shape, support and sustain communities across Britain. That means looking beyond the names we already know and recognising the teachers, volunteers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, mentors, campaigners and community leaders whose work may not always receive the same visibility.

For us, that matters because history shapes how we understand people, organisations and society today.

Black History Month is an opportunity to learn, listen and recognise. But it is also an opportunity for organisations to look at what they are doing throughout the year to create workplaces where different experiences are understood, voices are heard and people have the opportunity to contribute and progress.

Throughout October, we’ll be sharing conversations and perspectives that help us explore the experiences, histories and issues that matter to our communities.

🎙️ Listen to the Diverse Talk Matters podcast for conversations that bring important issues into the open.

And if your organisation wants to move beyond awareness and take meaningful action through your EDI strategy, contact us to find out how our EDI services can support you.



🎙️ NEW EPISODE: Diverse Talk Matters | Menstrual Health at WorkMenopause is finally getting more attention at work. But ...
30/09/2026

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: Diverse Talk Matters | Menstrual Health at Work

Menopause is finally getting more attention at work. But what about menstruation?

In this latest episode of Diverse Talk Matters, Natasha Broomfield-Reid is joined by Chiara Cocco, a postdoctoral research associate working with Professor Kate Sang and the EDI Caucus, to explore how menstrual health can shape people’s experiences at work.

Drawing on research involving more than 60 women and people who menstruate, Chiara shares findings on how workplace culture, flexibility, access and job roles can influence those experiences.

Together, they explore:
• Why menstrual experiences are far more diverse than we might assume
• How workplace practices can create barriers, even when menstruation itself is not problematic
• Why someone may describe their period as “fine” while experiencing significant pain, heavy bleeding or disruption to work
• The connection between menstrual health and disability through the social model of disability
• How disability, race, neurodivergence, age and gender identity can shape experiences
• Why policies alone are not enough without supportive workplace cultures
• How listening, co-design and evaluation can help employers create meaningful support
• Why employers need to think beyond menopause and consider menstrual health across the wider reproductive health journey

This is a practical conversation for employers, HR professionals, managers and EDI practitioners about who our workplaces are designed for, where barriers exist and what organisations can do differently.

Chiara also shares free resources from the research, including a menstrual health action plan, baseline survey guidance and comics exploring different lived experiences.

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WEtN41fS5mg
🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2260784/episodes/19886437

Watch, listen, subscribe and share the conversation.

24/09/2026

Episode 34 of Diverse Talk Matters: Menstruation Matters in the Workplace is coming soon!

Today, the conversation turns to something many organisations can relate to: what happens after the policy is written?

In this teaser, Chiara Cocco, a postdoctoral research associate working with Professor Kate Sang and the EDI Caucus, considers why taking action matters, but why a single policy or isolated measure may not be enough.

Because workplace support is not simply about having the right words written down. People need to know what support exists, where to find it and how to access it. More importantly, organisations need to look at the wider workplace culture and consider whether their approach is actually working for the people it is intended to support.

It is a useful reminder that meaningful change is not always about adding another policy or piece of legislation. Sometimes it is about looking at what is already there and asking whether people can actually use it.

In Menstruation Matters in the Workplace, Natasha Broomfield-Reid and Chiara explore how workplace culture, flexibility, access and job roles can shape menstrual experiences.

They also discuss:
• Why menstrual experiences are far more diverse than we might assume
• The connection between menstrual health and disability through the social model of disability
• How disability, race, neurodivergence, age and gender identity can shape experiences
• Why policies alone are not enough without supportive workplace cultures
• How listening, co-design and evaluation can help employers create meaningful support
• Why employers need to think beyond menopause and consider menstrual health across the wider reproductive health journey

This is a practical conversation for employers, HR professionals, managers and EDI practitioners about who our workplaces are designed for, where barriers exist and what organisations can do differently.

Listen, subscribe and share the conversation.

23/09/2026

Today we’re sharing another teaser from our new episode of Diverse Talk Matters, Episode Thirty Four : Menstruation Matters in the Workplace.

It is time to break the silence about the challenges faced by women in the workplace.

What if what we have come to accept as a “normal” period is actually a sign that something needs to be checked?

Severe pain. Heavy bleeding. Anaemia. Relying on painkillers to get through a shift. Planning meetings and deadlines around your cycle because you never know how you will feel.

Yet many people still describe their periods as “fine”.
Why? Because we often normalise menstrual symptoms and assume everyone experiences them in much the same way.

In this teaser, Natasha Broomfield-Reid explores this with Chiara Cocco, a postdoctoral research associate working with Professor Kate Sang and the EDI Caucus.

This snippet challenges some deeply held assumptions about menstruation, what we consider “normal” and what people are expected to simply endure at work.

And this is just one part of a much bigger conversation about Menstruation Matters in the Workplace.

Listen to the teaser and look out for the full episode of Diverse Talk Matter and while you wait remember to tune in and catch up on the other episodes on our YouTube channel or your favourite podcast platform.



18/09/2026

What happens when menstruation meets the workplace?

For millions of people, menstruation is simply part of life. Yet our workplaces do not always make it easy to talk about, manage or ask for support when it is needed.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 16.7 million women aged 16 and over were in employment in the UK in May–July 2026. So why is menstrual health still something we can find difficult to discuss openly at work?

In the upcoming episode of Diverse Talk Matters, Natasha Broomfield-Reid is joined by Chiara Cocco, a postdoctoral research associate working with Professor Kate Sang and the EDI Caucus, to explore research involving more than 60 women and people who menstruate.

And one of the important findings is this:
Sometimes menstruation itself isn't the biggest barrier. The workplace is.

Inflexible working practices, inaccessible environments and workplace cultures where people don't feel able to talk about their health or ask for what they need can make an experience far more difficult than it needs to be.

Menstrual experiences are also not the same for everyone. Health, age, job role, disability, race, neurodivergence, gender identity and other aspects of identity can all shape how someone experiences menstruation at work.

That is why this conversation needs to come into the light.

It is also why thinking only about menopause is not enough. Employers need to consider menstrual health as part of the wider reproductive health journey and ask a bigger question: Who is our workplace designed for, and where are we creating barriers without realising it?

In Episode 34, Natasha and Chiara explore menstrual health through the social model of disability, the role of workplace culture and flexibility, why policies alone are not enough, and how listening, co-design and evaluation can lead to more meaningful support.

🎙️ Episode 34 of Diverse Talk Matters: Menstruation Matters in the Workplace is coming soon, so watch this space.

In the meantime we invite you to listen, subscribe and share the conversation that are already available on our YouTube channel and your favourite podcast platform.



Being promoted into management is not the same as being ready to lead…Too often, people step into management because the...
17/09/2026

Being promoted into management is not the same as being ready to lead…

Too often, people step into management because they have demonstrated expertise in their role, without necessarily having had the opportunity to develop the skills needed to manage and lead others.

That raises an important question:
Are we giving people the development they need to lead well, or simply expecting them to figure it out as they go?

Effective leadership involves much more than managing tasks and meeting targets.

It requires the ability to communicate, build trust, navigate conflict, have difficult conversations, coach and develop others, lead through change and understand how different people experience the workplace.

These are not just ‘soft skills’. They are essential leadership capabilities.

At Diverse Matters, we design leadership and management development around the realities of your organisation and the people within it.

From inclusive and compassionate leadership to coaching, communication, confidence, conflict management, authentic leadership and leading change, our programmes help managers build the capability to lead people more effectively.

Because leadership development should not start when something goes wrong.

If you are developing managers, building your leadership pipeline or preparing people for their next step, let’s talk about what your organisation needs.

Get in touch with Diverse Matters to explore a tailored leadership and management development programme.



Episode 33 of Diverse Talk Matters is LIVE! Inclusive Schools: Turning Commitment Into ActionWhat does inclusion actuall...
10/09/2026

Episode 33 of Diverse Talk Matters is LIVE! Inclusive Schools: Turning Commitment Into Action

What does inclusion actually look like when the school day begins?
Not just in a policy.
Not just on an awareness day.
But in the curriculum choices we make, the voices we listen to, the behaviour we challenge and the decisions we make every day.

In this episode, Natasha Broomfield-Reid is joined by Gemma Hathaway, EDI Lead at Inspire Education Trust and Assistant Headteacher at Bluecoats School in Coventry, to explore what it really takes to turn a commitment to inclusion into everyday practice.

Together, they explore:
• Why inclusion needs to be part of the whole school culture, not confined to SEND
• What happens when schools genuinely listen to student voice
• How curriculum choices can create belonging through representation, identity and the ‘mirrors and windows’ approach
• The difference between visible EDI activity and meaningful change
• How schools can tackle racism, misogyny and harmful online content
• The role of care, compassion and safeguarding
• The questions teachers, leaders and parents can ask to understand how inclusive a school really is

With more than 16 years in education and a continuing role in the classroom, Gemma brings both strategic insight and practical experience, sharing examples from Inspire Education Trust and Bluecoats School.

Because an inclusive school isn't simply one that has the right policies in place. It is one that listens, reflects and is prepared to change.

Share this episode with someone working to make education more inclusive.
YouTube - https://youtu.be/Uz8MXi_QApc
BuzzSprout - https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2260784/episodes/19780680-episode-thirty-three-inclusive-schools-turning-commitment-into-action

09/09/2026

🎙️ Today we share another snippet from our next episode of Diverse Talk Matters which is coming soon!

For schools, inclusion cannot stop at awareness days, campaigns or statements of commitment. Those things matter, but the real work is embedding inclusion into everyday school life.

That means listening to students, challenging barriers, thinking about representation and making decisions that help every child feel they belong.

In this episode, Natasha Broomfield-Reid is joined by Gemma Hathaway, EDI Lead at Inspire Education Trust and Assistant Headteacher at Bluecoats School, to explore what turning commitment into action really looks like.

📌 Episode 33 Inclusive Schools: Turning Commitment Into Action will be out this week!

While you wait, catch up on our 32 episodes already available on your favourite podcast platform or our YouTube channel.

🎧 Listen, subscribe and share with someone working to make education more inclusive.

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CV12TE

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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07957 264226

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