Dear colleague, As you will be aware from national news reports, there have been a growing number of instances of violent disorder breaking out in towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland in recent days which have resulted in targeted violence towards religious and ethnic groups within our society and damage to property. The University wholeheartedly condemns this disorder and we stand in solidarity against racism and Islamophobia with our institutional counterparts in the affected regions. As a multicultural University, proud of its diverse and inclusive community, we are distressed by these unacceptable acts. We are also mindful that colleagues in our community will find the racist nature of the disorder to be deeply upsetting and worrying. The University is fully committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are striving to create a safe, inclusive and antiracist environment for work and study which celebrates the diversity of our community of staff and students. We are committed to challenging racism and racial inequality in our University. You can see our position here together with a list of University race equality groups and antiracism resources. Support services are available to all staff should you wish to use them. You can find information on access to counsellors, the Multi-faith Chaplaincy and other support here. SafeZone is a free app that connects you to the University security team if you need urgent help, see something suspicious or want to access wellbeing assistance. As always, any colleague who is travelling for work should give consideration to any potential risk arising and if you have any doubts please speak to your line manager. I hope this is helpful. Best wishes Tracey |
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