An inclusive Anthropy: Fostering fresh leadership thinking for a better Britain and beyond

Alongside expert panellists Lisa Hopkins, Shani Dhanda, Amar Latif, and Scott Watkin, our CEO Ed Warner discussed disability inclusion in the workplace at Anthropy 2023. The iconic event with over 180 thought-provoking sessions and the presence of over 2,000 business leaders at Cornwall's Eden Project aims to inspire fresh leadership thinking for a brighter future for the UK and beyond. We were delighted that inclusive design was part of the conversation amongst a dynamic and diverse line-up of leaders and participants, sharing insights and guidance to help promote new individual and collective action.

The four key pillars underpinning the Anthropy ethos are:

• People - What is the quality of life we want in Britain for the next thirty years?
• Place - What qualities of place and planet do we need to achieve that quality of life?
• Prosperity - What qualities do we wish to see in a good economy and in the best of businesses and public sector organisations?
• Global Perspective - What qualities do we want to express to the world, to help solve shared issues such as poverty, climate change, and human rights?

Inspiration

The major themes that that came out of the three-day conference and are inspiring us for 2024 and beyond included sustainability and the drive for net zero, the role of diversity and inclusion in successful businesses, and the importance of early years education. The role of AI and technology and figuring out how to stay ahead as it advances was also much debated.

Many speakers took the opportunity to encourage progressive and purpose-led organisations and individuals to maintain courage in their convictions that they are on the right path to driving meaningful change, even though that can be hard sometimes. They also stressed the importance of businesses actively communicating the great things they are doing within their organisations to drive a positive media narrative and inspire other organisations to progress their own journeys. As well as the value of working in partnership with other organisations who hold similar values and ambitions, one area of mutual agreement was that businesses must lead the way in driving the changes we want to see, rather than waiting for Government legislation.  

The panel discussion on inclusion in the workplace was an enjoyable session with Lisa, Shani, Amar, and Scott. The key messages from the panel were the importance of involving disabled people in decision making, the benefit of businesses embracing inclusion and design tips on how to improve the design of our built environment so it is accessible, safe, and welcoming for everyone.

The future

We hope to speak at and attend the next Anthropy in March 2025, and in the meantime will be progressing many of the relationships forged and inspiration acquired this year.  

Find out more about Anthropy

See: https://anthropy.uk/