Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) launched their latest business forum in Liverpool on Wednesday, working alongside Liverpool Football Club and local businesses including EY, Mercer, Barclays, Hays, NHS Employers and The Royal Navy.

CIC is a forum for businesses that want to create inclusive workplaces for all, working together and learning from each other.

Regional forums focus on key issues, city by city, ensuring that local insight and knowledge are part of the solution. Forums are currently thriving with business partners in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, with more UK cities following. 

Susan Black, director of communications at LFC and Simon Thornton, the club's diversity and inclusion manager, welcomed the organisations attending and CIC founder Charlotte Sweeney OBE shared the many benefits of being part of a network that enables organisations to realise the benefits of having a diverse workforce. 

The event was also an opportunity for CIC founding partners, EY and Mercer to share their experiences of working with CIC forums in their respective cities. The evening was a great success with an excellent turnout, plenty of engagement and excitement about the next steps for CIC Liverpool.

Simon Thornton said: “We were delighted to host the Creating Inclusive Cultures Liverpool launch at Anfield. 

“At LFC we are passionate about equality and committed to promoting and developing it across all areas of the football club. This encompasses making our workplaces as inclusive and welcoming as possible and through working with Creating Inclusive Cultures we will look to gain and share key learnings and best practices with a wealth of other organisations across the city region.”

Charlotte Sweeney OBE, an award-winning diversity and inclusion expert and author with over 20 years’ experience of driving diversity and inclusion strategy globally, commented: “Organisations thrive when they have a work environment where people can be themselves and give their best. We look forward to working with LFC and other employers across the region to build on the local insights and knowledge and support them to create great places to work - for everyone.”

CIC was founded in 2015 and is formal partners with the Northern Powerhouse Programme, the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Directors and strives to support companies reap the rewards of creating diverse and inclusive workplaces.

For more information, please visit www.creatinginclusivecultures.com.