Liverpool City Region’s £2.3m Race Equality Hub appoints advisory board

• Advisory board of 14 people from diverse backgrounds
• Critical voices from the community, business, academia, education and health

Alison Navarro, Programme Director of the Race Equality Hub

An advisory board of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds across the Liverpool City Region has been established to oversee the work of the ground-breaking Race Equality Hub.

The £2.3m Race Equality Hub is a brand-new venture, established by the Mayor, that will support career opportunities and the development of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic businesses across the region. It is the largest investment in tackling racial inequality in the region’s history.

The new advisory board of 14 people will help to unlock the enormous potential that exists within the region’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities by acting as a ‘critical friend’ to the Hub team.

The board members, drawn from a wide variety of professions including business, academia, education and health, will play an important role in ensuring that the Hub develops and influences support to challenge inequalities and promote the economic advancement of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community members.

Alison Navarro, Programme Director of the Race Equality Hub said:

“We are delighted with the level of interest shown in becoming an Advisory Board member and in the passion, expertise and experience that Board members will bring to the work of the Hub.

“The Hub will provide a-once-in-a-generation opportunity to really tackle racism in employment and business. So often people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities aren’t short of the qualifications or desire, but are short of the opportunities. Working with this talented group of individuals will help the team ensure that the right support is provided at the right time to all our communities.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“Our Race Equality Hub is the first of its kind anywhere in the country. It’s a bold, innovative approach that is putting power into the hands of underrepresented groups and harnessing the untapped skills, knowledge, and potential of our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities.

“The more inclusive workforce we’re building doesn’t just make moral sense – it’s makes good business sense too. Diversifying our workforce would generate an estimated £300m for our economy, which is an opportunity that we simply cannot afford to miss out on.

“Through our new board, we have pulled together a talented team with the knowledge, insight and lived experience to advise us – and hold us to account. Working together, I’m confident we can shape a fairer, more equal future for the 1.6m people who call our area home.”

The Liverpool City Region Race Equality Hub is an ambitious and innovative approach to tackle race inequality within the city region.

Racial inequality costs the Liverpool City Region £450m a year in lost income, investment and opportunities and the Mayor’s programme forms part of his strategy to ensure no communities are left behind.

The Hub which will operate as a centre of excellence in tackling racial inequality by focusing on employability, business support and leadership across the Liverpool City Region.

Building upon the area’s reputation for social justice and equality, the Hub’s primary purpose is to tackle systemic injustice and inequality and drive forward positive change for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic employees and residents. It will work in partnership with public, private and third sector employers, to encourage and support them to do the same.

Race Equality Hub Advisory Board:

Kene Anichebe

Vanessa Boateng

Penny Ding

Modupe Dosunmu

Elliss Eyo-Thompson

Aiyana Gayle

Ibtisam Idris

Michelle King

Leon Moosavi

Akil Morgan

Amanda Onwuemene

Quincy Quayson

Yusuf Sani

Emma Stewart