A big hello from the South West & Wales Multicultural Network

By South West & Wales MCN

We often refer to Deloitte as a people business, as we couldn’t do what we do for our clients without the people we have in the firm. People are what make our business great and we value diversity, and are committed to respect and inclusion.

Deloitte has 12 diversity networks– ensuring every person has a voice, is respected and encouraged to achieve great things, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality or any other characteristic.

South West & Wales Multicultural Network

Our network, or the SWW MCN for short, is a branch of the wider Deloitte MCN, It is a community open to anyone who works at Deloitte across the South West and Wales region that has an interest in learning about different cultures and the key issues faced by underrepresented ethnic groups. We aim to empower and support our community through events, regional updates, and by providing our network and wider Deloitte community with support and contacts when they need it.

At Deloitte, we have a diverse workforce with colleagues from many different cultures, countries and ethnic backgrounds and over 30 languages are spoken by our people across the South West and Wales alone.

Our network creates the opportunity to bring different cultures from around the world and inspire others to learn about other countries and nations by sharing stories, photos and recipes. We actively celebrate and mark significant days throughout the year, such as Holocaust Memorial Day, Chinese New Year, Black History Month and many more!

As a network, we are always finding ways to learn and expand our reach, and this has taken us beyond our Deloitte community. We are proud of the support we have extended to local schools and colleges in Cardiff and Bristol, and we are proud of our network-led events in support of our local community.

Let’s celebrate

Chinese New Year

In collaboration with the local Confucius Institute, we celebrate Chinese New Year by learning different parts of Chinese history and ancient Chinese skills via workshops. Previous years have seen us all get together and be taught traditional things like Chinese tea making and painting. In 2021, we were even more creative as the event was held virtually so we watched the New Year ceremony together and had fun making traditional animal paper cuttings.

Black History Month

Each year we celebrate Black history by sharing regional updates highlighting influential Black people and moments in history, as well as attending local and Deloitte-led events. In our region we hosted a movie and pizza night in which we watched The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and a virtual quiz open to Deloitte people across the UK during last year’s lockdown period.

We joined Deloitte’s wider MCN events which included a Caribbean curry cook-along and the Black Network’s flagship panel event featuring Deloitte’s CEO, Richard Houston, and guests talking about the importance of family. The @DeloitteUK_MCN twitter feed shared content throughout the month inviting people to join the conversation using #DeloitteBHM.

Our focus for 2021 will be on family and sharing stories that showcase the breadth and diversity of the Black British experience, from music and sport to activism and literature.

Let’s Talk sessions

Last year and again this year, the SWW MCN held a Let’s Talk session. Similar to national MCN-led sessions, our participants shared honest and personal experiences and discussed opportunities for Black and minority ethnic colleagues and individuals.

The sessions were very impactful, poignant, and powerful. It demonstrated the power of listening and helped shape the Black Action Plan. Any actions and concerns were fed back to the MCN and the Deloitte inclusion team and continue to help shape inclusion policies.

Who leads the SWW MCN?

Kayleigh is overall lead and chair of the SWW MCN and a senior associate in Deloitte’s world class immigration team.

“I joined the SWW MCN committee nearly three years ago as, although I have previously worked in diverse teams, I have never been part of a company that actively celebrates diversity and encourages people to be themselves. 18 months ago, I was offered the privilege of becoming the lead for the SWW MCN and I jumped at the chance. To be able to surround myself with such a positive, open minded and encouraging community of people alongside my daily role really is fantastic. It makes me want to be a better person and do what I can to help others.”

Bradley leads community investment and external relations for the SWW MCN and is a manager within financial advisory, specialising in providing M&A transaction services.

“I joined the SWW MCN committee around 18 months ago because I’m passionate about creating a more diverse and inclusive working environment within our region. The SWW MCN has not only provided amazing opportunities to meet and celebrate the different backgrounds and cultures of my colleagues, but also provided me with a great support network when I needed it most.”

Camila leads communication and employee engagement within the SWW MCN and is a senior analyst for the Swiss AQRM team based in Cardiff.

“I joined the SWW MCN in early 2019 after I attended the Chinese New Year celebration. We learnt to do Chinese calligraphy and it was just so much fun that I wanted to be a part of future events. When I joined, I learnt about the positive impact the network had on the firm and it felt fantastic to be part of a community that is closely aligned with my beliefs. I’m responsible for our SWW MCN comms which I love.

“Being an ally and advocate for others is something I will always be and is one of the things I am most proud of. I am constantly learning new things and perspectives of different cultures/backgrounds. I really could go on and on but I will leave you with a quote: Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”

The South West & Wales Multicultural Network

The SWW MCN is focused on delivering value to our members and celebrating the unique strengths that everyone brings to the table. The network offers a safe space for people to be themselves and keep an open conversation going regarding important topics from all areas of the globe.