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Sheffield City Council to mark two years of Race Equality Commission

Sheffield Town Hall

Today marks two years since the launch of the final report of Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission. Since then, Sheffield City Council has made consistent progress in tackling race inequality in the council and in the city, with plans going forward that aim to make Sheffield an anti-racist city.

In December, during a Strategy and Resources committee meeting, the Council agreed to contribute £100,000 in funding to tackle race inequality over the next four years as well as implementing a range of resources to make improvements following the commission’s recommendations.

Sheffield City Council is supporting teams across the Council to develop quality practice around race while working alongside and supporting internal staff equality hubs.

The council is also monitoring its approach to race equality with a performance framework which will measure and track progress.

Sheffield City Council will also be supporting and coordinating a list of race-related awareness days and months such as South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month.

The new Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Sheffield Cllr Jayne Dunn, who was appointed back in May this year, will raise awareness on issues that are important to the people of Sheffield, with each month dedicated to a particular issue with a dedicated community champion to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the city.

Sheffield City Council, alongside city partners, has taken the findings of the REC report and implemented a variety of changes including appointing an experienced leadership, diversity, and inclusion professional as the Chair of the Race Equality Partnership for Sheffield (REPS).

Fatima Khan-Shah was successfully appointed to the role due to her extensive experience leading on nationally recognised and multi-award-winning programmes around equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), as well as for her passion for Sheffield, the city she grew up in.

The role of Chair will be to provide visible and collaborative leadership of REPS, working with key partners across the city enabling Sheffield City Council to continue these important changes.

These actions have been taken after the publication of the Race Equality Commission’s findings in July 2022 and are playing played a pivotal role in improving our city, making sure diversity is at the heart of everything the Council does.

As a result, major, positive steps have been made, including the development of the new council framework for equality, diversity, and inclusion, which were also agreed at the meeting in December.

Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Racism has no place in Sheffield or anywhere. As a Council, it’s vital that we work in partnership with our local communities to ensure that Sheffield is a welcoming and inclusive city for everyone.

“The Race Equality Partnership has an important role to play in this. It is an active, collaborative network of people and organisations with a shared aim to make Sheffield an anti-racist city.

“The council has big ambitions to tackle inequalities and celebrate the diversity of all communities and the partnership will help do just that.”

Fatima Khan-Shah, Chair of the Race Equality Partnership, said: “Today marks the second anniversary of the Race Equality Commission which is a pivotable moment during the start of my term as Chair of the Race Equality Partnership for Sheffield, and I’m overjoyed to be in a role where I can give back to the residents.

“As someone born and bred in Sheffield my roots in this incredible city have made me the person I am today.

“The Race Equality Partnership is an important opportunity for everyone across this city to work together to deliver upon the legacy of the Race Equality Commission and I will do everything I can to further our journey towards a truly anti-racist Sheffield.”