Equality & Diversity Statement

Abbey Brass Band is committed to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We value and respect the different contributions that each of our members bring. We strive to create an inclusive culture that treats people equitably regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

We will help our members to be successful, recognising that success comes in a wide variety of ways, growing a culture of continuous improvement where we look to provide a comprehensive experience.

Acting with care, integrity, and fairness will be demonstrated within Abbey Brass. We will continue to grow our band community where how we treat other people and our responsibilities to ourselves and others will be at the heart of our band.

We have an essential role in aiding musical development in the local area and we aim to tackle inequality and build a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

We welcome and celebrate diversity acknowledging that not everybody starts with or experiences the same opportunities.

We promise to be transparent, accountable and share our progress regularly through Committee and Sub-Committee meetings for continuous improvement.

Each group within the Abbey Brass organisation will:

• Set suitable learning challenges

• Respond to players’ diverse needs

• Overcome potential barriers to learning for individuals and groups of players

About the Equality Act 2010: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

What is the overall effect of the Act? - The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against anyone because of a protected characteristic in a wide range of areas including employment and the provision of services. There are some exceptions to this, including the charities’ exception.

What are protected characteristics?

• age

• disability

• gender reassignment

• marriage and civil partnership

• pregnancy and maternity

• race

• religion or belief

• sex

• sexual orientation

You can find more information about the meaning of protected characteristics on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.

Abbey Brass is NOT affected by the charities’ exception clause in the Equality Act 2010 as there is no restriction in the Constitution/ Governing Document on who may benefit from the organisation. To restrict access to the organization based on a protected characteristic is discriminatory.

Abbey Brass Equality Objectives:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.

• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

• Foster good relations across all protected characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

Advancing equality of opportunity is defined further in the Equality Act 2010 as having due regard to the need to:

• Remove or minimise disadvantages

• Take steps to meet different needs

• Encourage participation when it is disproportionately low.

The Committee(s) take all reasonable steps to ensure that the band environment gives access to people with disabilities, and also strive to make band communications as inclusive as possible for parents/carers and members. The committee(s) work in partnership with others to eliminate all forms of oppressive behaviour, prejudice related incidents and discrimination.

Abbey Brass Band understands the principle of the act and the work needed to ensure that those with protected characteristics are not discriminated against and are given equality of opportunity. The Equality Act defines ‘protected characteristics’ as disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and pregnancy and maternity.

We recognise that these duties reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the Human Rights Act 1998 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents).