We have expanded our social media presence recently so we just wanted to remind you of where you can get updates and useful insights from MMCS!

LinkedIn – follow us for daily updates on what we’ve been up to, how we help our clients to grow and transform, and what our clients say about us.

YouTube – subscribe for expert bid tips and exclusive webinars – see our latest one on Mental Health here – and we shall be posting some new content over the coming weeks… watch this space!

Instagram – our Instagram page provides a look into MMCS as well as useful information and resources about business development and inclusion – two key areas we are passionate about here!

Twitter – follow us for company updates, plus interesting articles and news items we’ve been reading and following.

The recording is now available, for a limited time only, for the Diversity & Inclusion in UK Nuclear’s webinar “Supporting Black Professionals in Nuclear”, that was held on 30th October and part of celebrations for Black History Month.

As co-founder of the Diversity and Inclusion in UK Nuclear Initiative, MM Creative Solutions was proud to co-sponsor this event and lead on this important discussion. MMCS MD Monica co-hosted the webinar session, posing questions directly to the panel and helping to stimulate deeper topical conversations.

The webinar panel included Marcia Ore, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner, Leyla Okhai, CEO and Director of Diverse Minds UK Ltd, and Michelle Gyimah, Founder of Equality Pays.

The panel gave some valuable advice and personal insights into a number of topics surrounding Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) within the nuclear industry. This included examples of what companies are doing well regarding increasing race equality and inclusion in their organisations, what can be improved, and what actions that everybody in the industry can take to be proactive allies and provide safe spaces for underrepresented groups so that they can flourish in the industry.

The recording of the webinar is available on request for a limited time only, until 2nd December 2020. Please contact Diversity & Inclusion in UK Nuclear at info@dinuclear.com to request access to view the recording.

With England currently in a second lockdown, we wanted to highlight some handy resources to aid you in staying mentally healthy.

At MMCS we have been working remotely for quite some time so firstly, here are some of the things that have helped us:

• Keeping as normal a “working day” routine as possible, taking a proper lunch break and logging off for the evening
• Focus on set outputs for each day
• Recognising the need to step away for a break; take a breather before returning to your work
• Getting outside for fresh air and some exercise on a regular basis
• Looking after our physical health; eating well, being active and getting plenty of sleep
• Keep in touch with friends and family
• Recognise periods of low mood and depression; reach out for support from friends or family, and if these feelings persist, consider going to the GP
• Being kind to ourselves, acknowledging the circumstances we find ourselves in, and knowing we are doing the best we can

You can watch our webinar “Creating a mentally healthy work environment in uncertain times” with guest Shazney Spence (MD of Equanimity) on our YouTube page, which you can watch here.

Other Resources

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) – check with your employer’s HR department if they have an EAP, which will usually offer mental health support.

The NHS website has lots of information and practical tips for staying mentally healthy during lockdown, link below.

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-tips/

Mind, one of the UK’s leading Mental Health Charities, provides a whole wealth of information on their website. The link below details a lot of helpful resources regarding mental health during Coronavirus.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

Counselling and Psychotherapy – The British Association Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is a large organisation that many counsellors around the UK are registered with. If ill mental health persists, you may want support via talking therapy, and the BACP have a counsellors’ directory here.

If you feel you need to talk to somebody anonymously, then the Samaritans’ number is 116 123 and their website also lists resources and other ways to get in touch.

MMCS is delighted to welcome Michelle Rudek to our team.

Michelle has taken up the role of Marketing Manager and is responsible for MMCS marketing activities.

Besides leading on work within MMCS, Michelle also works on client projects.  Specifically, Michelle provides strategic marketing input and communications advice for MMCS clients that are seeking to review and refresh their external messaging. Michelle provides practical easy-to-implement guidance that aids their work-winning activities.

Michelle brings over 10 years of marketing and communications experience, garnered from a range of sectors, including nuclear, engineering, technology, academia and finance.

Her considerable experience in marketing strategy and campaigns, branding activities, and business development is an asset to the organisation. This is further strengthened by her project management skills gained from delivering a number of stakeholder engagement activities, including events, training sessions, internal communications, focus groups, and customer feedback programmes.

As Black History Month draws to a close, we provide this final weekly instalment of information and stories of those who’ve made a positive difference within their communities.

Trailblazing Leeds GP shining a light on health inequalities and Black British history, by Emma Ryan for the Yorkshire Evening Post – Dr Julie Duodo, a GP in Leeds, has been helping out low-income families as part of Health Education England’s trailblazer GP programme. A key component is Healthy Start, a national project for pregnant women, or those who have children under the age of four. Through the scheme, free vouchers are available every week to spend on food, formula milk, as well as free vitamins. She says “When I applied and took up the role of a trailblazer GP it was before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. However, we all know that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on some communities which has made me even more determined to help my patients who really need to be accessing the Healthy Start scheme to support their children through infancy.”

In her spare time, Julie and her sister Stephanie run the Instagram account @Afro_Leads, which aims to “celebrate & promote UK Black business & culture”. 

Black History Month Advent Calendar – This Calendar shines a spotlight on key figure in Black History. Some great examples include Bill Richmond, the first Black sports star in Britain, Philippa of Hainault, the first Black Queen of England crowned in 1328, and John Edmondstone, a freed slave who taught Taxidermy to Charles Darwin at the University of Edinburgh.

Can Black History Month eradicate performative activism? By Chidozie Obasi for Harper’s Bazaar – Obasi writes about the harm that performative allyship – the act of speaking out about a cause for the advancement of one’s social image – can do to the lived experience of the Black Community and how Black History Month can address this issue. “BHM represents an effective approach at tackling racism because it forces many to consider the reality that racism has had in all its guises. Against the backdrop of performative allyship, BHM offers the opportunity to decolonise and reclaim untold fragments of history, which not only empowers the Black community but also forces white people to acknowledge a reality of racism that they might have previously felt too uncomfortable to confront.”

How Black Minds Matter is taking on the Black mental health crisis, by BMMuk co-founder Agnes Mwakatuma and Thom Waite for Dazed – In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Black Minds Matter UK campaigned for donations to provide counselling services to Black people in the UK and has so far raised over £500k. Agnes Mwakatuma and her co-founder Annie Nash envisioned: “an organisation where Black people can receive the healing that they deserve.” The initiative also provides a wealth of information on mental health issues via their Instagram page.

You can donate to Black Minds Matter here.

MM Creative Solutions’ Managing Director Monica Mwanje features as a guest on this week’s edition of the “Are We Nearly There Yet?” Podcast.

Professor Andrew Sherry talks to people about their career pathways so that people can learn from their experience. This week he talks to Monica and they discuss her education, her degree studies at Birmingham University and her career path from her beginnings at Sellafield Limited up to the present day with heading up MMCS. Monica talks about the key moments and experiences that have shaped and evolved her career to date.

Monica also talks about co-founding Diversity and Inclusion in UK Nuclear with Thomas Thor CEO Callum Thomas. She talks about the experiences and the challenges she has faced in her career that brought her to the point of setting up the initiative.

To listen to the podcast and check out the previous episodes, go to: http://awnty.podbean.com/

You can also follow them on LinkedIn here.

Black History Month continues and throughout October at MMCS, we continue to offer information to inform people about the lived experience of the UK Black community and to celebrate those making a real difference.

We Belong seeks to improve the livelihoods and security of young migrants living in the UK, through parliamentary campaigning, education funding, and leadership training. Co-founded by Chrisann Jarrett and Dami Makinde, who arrived in the UK from Jamaica and Nigeria respectively as children, We Belong’s aim is to end the hostility around immigration, and ensuring barriers to full integration for migrants are removed so that they can contribute to British society.

Watch some the charity’s alumni from their Leadership Programme in this video, talking about how We Belong have helped them in their careers. And find out more about their fantastic work at https://www.webelong.org.uk/

Black History Timeline, by Gaverne Bennett for the Guardian – This covers two millennia of global Black History, including evidence of Black communities living in Britain during the time of the Romans. “This is not about creating a separate history; it is about adding to the history we are already familiar with. A story which shows that, from the Romans onwards, Africa’s story has been intertwined with Europe’s and others around the world. It’s a story well worth knowing.”

Kids of Colour – Based in Manchester, Kids of Colour provides a platform for young people of colour to explore race, identity and culture and challenge the everyday, institutionalised racism that shapes their lives. They provide support, workshops, drop-in sessions as well as training organisation who work with young people. You can donate to them here.

Black Pound Day – Established just this June, Black Pound Day was set up to support the growth of the UK Black economy. Starting with one day per month, Black Pound Day encourages everyone to spend money with local and online UK Black-owned businesses. The next Black Pound Day is on 7^th November 2020.

In honour of Black History Month, Diversity and Inclusion in UK Nuclear are hosting a webinar on the topic of “Supporting Black Professionals in Nuclear”.

The aim of this webinar is to provide useful tips to support Black employees and colleagues by discussing practical ways to boost recruitment, aid retention, and inclusion.

The Panel

The fantastic panel of speakers are ready to share their expertise and best practice from across several industries. They are:

Marcia Ore

Marcia has been United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner since July 2019. Her activism for equality, diversity and inclusion began during her time with West Midlands Police Service from 1982. After 30 years of service with the Police, Marcia has since evolved her career around training, personal development and consulting organisations on “wrap-around” equality and inclusivity. Marcia has recently become a member of Women in Nuclear’ s Central Committee.

Michelle Gyimah

The Founder of Equality Pays, Michelle has over 12 years’ experience working at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, supporting employers to understand the impact of gender and ethnicity discrimination. Combined with personal experience, Michelle focuses her training and consultancy on strategies for talking about gender and ethnicity pay gaps in organisations; and implementing practical corrective actions.

Leyla Okhai

Leyla is the CEO and Director of Diverse Minds UK Ltd, providing workplaces with training, coaching and consultancy on race equality, culture, mental health, wellbeing and inclusion. Previously, Leyla was the Head of Centre for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Imperial College London, for five years. Prior to joining Imperial College, Leyla worked at the University of Oxford for six years, and became their first specific advisor for race and religion. She is also a Council Member at the University of Leeds.

How to Register

The webinar will take place on Friday 30 October, from 12-1pm GMT. It is free of charge to attend.

Click here to book your place.

For more information on Diversity and Inclusion in UK Nuclear, visit their website: https://dinuclear.com/

Black History Month continues and throughout this month at MMCS, we continue to offer information to educate people about the lived experience of the UK Black community and to celebrate those making a positive change.

Exist Loudly – Tanya Compas is a social worker and the founder of Exist Loudly, a charitable organisation which supports the wellbeing of the Black LGBTQ+ community. She is also the organiser of Queer Black Christmas, providing celebration events and a safe space for those in the Black LGBTQ+ community who may not be able to go and celebrate Christmas with their families.

During lockdown, and with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement globally, Tanya set up a crowdfunding campaign for Exist Loudly and she has so far raised £100k of donations. Her determination and passion for providing this lifeline for the community has earned her a Pride of Britain award nomination!

Watch Tanya talk about Exist Loudly and her reasons for establishing the initiative in the video within the article link here.

Black children must be able to believe in themselves. That’s what Black History Month is for, by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo for CNN – Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is the founder of Black History Month in the UK and here, he writes in detail about how the initiative came about in the late 1980s, and about the relevance and the need for Black History Month in 2020. “For Black History to matter, Black Lives must matter. For Black Lives to matter, Black History must matter.”

The Anthony Walker Foundation – Established in 2006 after the racially motivated murder of Anthony Walker in Merseyside the year before, his family set up the Foundation to establish a positive legacy in his name. The foundation tackles, racism, hate crime and discrimination in Merseyside and beyond through educational programmes and victim support services.

In a message on the Foundation’s website, Anthony’s mother Gee writes, “It was vital for us as a family that the memory and legacy of Anthony lives on, that all he loved and aspired to is not simply forgotten. ‘Don’t let my son’s death be in vain’ were words I spoke and these sentiments are as important today as they were in 2005.”

Donations to The Anthony Walker Foundation can be made here.

Finally, this short film from Sainsbury’s shows some of their employees talk about the importance for Black British History to be told, plus they talk about their role models who have made a positive difference to the Black Community.

MMCS hosted a webinar last week, in the run-up to World Mental Health Day last Saturday. Our guest speaker Shazney Spence (Managing Director of Equanimity) shared her expertise to provide a greater sense of Mental Health awareness, acceptance and action points to allow you to manage your mental health and even thrive during these difficult times.

The webinar started with highlighting the effects of the pandemic on mental health, such as heightened anxiety, a loss of routine and trouble sleeping to name but a few. Pointers on how to recognise low mood and depression were raised as well as the importance to reach out and seek help if a low mood or depressive episode persists.

Shazney then offered some insights incorporating daily routines and habits to support mental and emotional stability and balance, and to create and increase the frequency of positive thoughts and “self-talk”.

Shazney also discussed what employers can do to support their workforce with their mental health, such as encouraging honest dialogue and removing the stigma associated with mental ill health.

The webinar concluded with tips on cultivating a more positive growth mindset and also where to find support if you are struggling with your mental health, for example seeking mental health services from Mind and the Samaritans, plus any Employee Assistance Programmes that may be on offer to you.

Watch a recording of the webinar below. You can watch other videos from MMCS on our YouTube channel.

Find out more about Shazney’s work at https://shazneyspence.com/