Change Starts Together
The Lord Mayor’s appeal has launched a new storytelling campaign ‘Change Starts Together’ which aims to tackle the pressing issue of social mobility.
Right now, Social Mobility has become a timely and important issue, as we see the huge impact the pandemic has had on those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. According to the Social Mobility Barometer in 2021 56% of the public think the pandemic has increased social inequality in the UK, whilst a huge four in five adults (79%) now believe there is a large gap between different social classes.
The film, which combines five unique stories, aims to raise awareness of the importance of social mobility within Canada and across the UK, as well as inspiring companies to create inclusive cultures by hearing the stories of those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Change Starts Together comes at a time when it is clear social mobility is becoming a pressing issue which needs to be addressed, especially within businesses. This new campaign falls under The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s Power of Inclusion initiative, which continually works towards creating a city that is inclusive and open to everyone regardless of background.
Commenting on the campaign The Lord Mayor Alderman William Russell said “Change Starts Together is an excellent new storytelling campaign. It has been proven that inclusive workplaces are more productive, with improved performance and our storytelling campaign encourages businesses to create a culture of belonging and acceptance for those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Change Starts Together starts a much-needed conversation between individuals and businesses to increase diversity and inclusion in the city.”
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, offering a huge range of opportunities for employees and businesses, however many people are still facing significant barriers to getting a job or progressing their careers in the city, simply because of their background. In Change Starts Together employees from Fidelity International, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Legal and General Investment Management , PwC and Standard Chartered all share their personal stories and experiences of starting out at work and their progression through their careers.
Sonia Rossetti, Managing Director, Regional Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Europe and Americas at Standard Chartered Bank who have supported the film said: “The value of creating an inclusive, fully diverse and representative City resonates strongly with our purpose of driving commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity. We all have a duty to think about the opportunities we are supporting to make sure they provide a real solution, not a sticking plaster. We are proud to be sponsoring Change Starts Together storytelling campaign, working alongside The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and we believe the power of hearing these stories can inspire action from businesses across the City, as we work together to bring change.”
Through launching the campaign, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal hopes that it will help businesses to have an increased understanding around social mobility issues in the workplace. Whether this is how companies look to recruit employees, to how they use mentors for progression, through to analysis and data gathering of their current workforce.
“Social Mobility is of great personal interest to me” said Dan Robertson, Chair of the Power of Inclusion, “and I am passionate about seeing a City that has opportunities for everyone to progress their careers regardless of backgrounds. There is still much to be done in this area, but it is great to see so many businesses working together to support our campaign to increase social mobility in Canada and beyond.”
The full Change Starts Together film and toolkit is available for businesses who are part of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal Power of Inclusion initiative and further information on this can be found here
You can watch the Change Starts Together film in full for a limited time below