Our Approach to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Our vision for EDI is of a world where every seriously ill child - and their families – have access to the best care and medical research when they need it most, coupled with the best advocates to stand alongside them.

We know that achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion is critical to ensuring that as many people as possible can contribute to and benefit from our work and to building a culture where our people thrive and feel a sense of belonging.

At Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, we commit to:

• Being guided by our values - we're courageous, we are curious, we care - every step of the way by working with compassion and empathy, exploring innovative approaches, and bravely questioning our decisions.
• Developing and maintaining an inclusive culture where everyone - our employees, volunteers, families, and supporters - feels valued for their contributions.
• Continuously learning, unlearning, adapting, and reviewing to embed EDI into everything we are and everything we do.

Building on the achievements of our first EDI strategy, we launched our second strategy in 2024. This new and ambitious set of priorities moves GOSH Charity into a space where everybody, no matter their background, can contribute to, and benefit from, the work that GOSH Charity does.

We've identified four strategic priorities that will support this work over the next three years; these are:

1. Create a diverse and inclusive culture at GOSH Charity that promotes equity for all our people - colleagues and volunteers.
2. Improve the accessibility and inclusivity of our fundraising.
3. Promote EDI across all our grants and charitable programmes, ensuring our impact reaches further and is felt by all researchers, children, and families.
4. Use our voice to communicate with diverse communities in ways that are authentic, accessible, and inclusive.

Colleagues across the whole charity shaped our strategy. It will be underpinned by a robust governance framework, allowing us to deliver on our ambitions and monitor our progress. We commit to being transparent when sharing our successes and mistakes.

You can read our EDI strategy below.

We're incredibly proud of our colleagues who launched four staff networks in 2024. These voluntary, employee-led groups support us in fostering an inclusive workplace, celebrating our diversity, and challenging us to improve daily.

Each network is comprised of colleagues who share a protected characteristic or affinity, with some open to allies. A member of our Senior Leadership Team sponsors all networks and is supported by our EDI & Wellbeing Specialist. Our staff networks are:

Creates a safe space for open and supportive conversations about disability, neurodiversity and mental health, to promote disability equity at GOSH Charity.

Provides peer support for colleagues who may share an affinity or lived experiences with those in the network and works to create an inclusive culture for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Builds a sense of community where all ethnically diverse communities are valued, trusted, heard and respected at GOSH Charity.

Creates a safe sense of community for women and non-binary people to empower each other in the workplace as peers and colleagues.

GOSH Charity is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and member of the Business Disability Forum.

We have also signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge and Stand with Trans pledge.

We are members of Inclusive Employers.

These memberships and pledges, alongside our work internally, challenge us to be the best and most inclusive employer we can be. You can read more about our approach to inclusive hiring below.

Gender pay dap data is an important (but not the only) measure of gender equality in our workforce, and one that will help to inform our plans and activities as we continue to work towards our EDI goals.