This policy applies to all Committee Members and volunteers.

Responsibilities
The Committee have overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy, but each member of our team is responsible for their own compliance with this policy and everyone associated with the Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park Group has a duty to prevent discrimination. Breaches of the policy will be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately by the Committee.

Statement of Intent
The Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park Group recognise that many people experience discrimination. All forms of discrimination are unacceptable, regardless of whether there was any intention to discriminate or not.

We are committed to taking action to promote equality and to value diversity and will work to address unfair treatment, discrimination and prejudice where found within the organisation. We will work both within the current legislative framework to promote best practice and to develop an organisational culture that positively values diversity.

The protected characteristics
Our organisation recognises the need to protect the rights of everyone regardless of

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• pregnancy and maternity (which includes breastfeeding)
• marriage and civil partnership
• race
• religion or belief
• sex or sexual orientation

The purpose of this policy
We aim to create a culture that:

• respects and values everyone’s differences
• promotes dignity equality and diversity in all our activities
• encourages individuals to develop and maximise their true potential
• is tolerant of others

In order to implement this policy, we shall:

• promote a harmonious environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, in an unbiased way and recognised as having a contribution to make
• encourage, promote and celebrate diversity in all our activities
• deal with any complaints or grievances concerning discrimination harassment or victimisation through our Complaints and Grievance Policy and Procedure in an appropriate and constructive way, monitoring and reviewing complaints annually and recording any outcomes/actions
• identify and respond to the needs of those attending our activities
• provide information in a way that is accessible, for example, large print
• aim to meet in premises with facilities which are physically accessible to those participating
• not tolerate intimidation, harassment or bullying, including inappropriate comments (including political comments) on social media which could been seen as denigration, harassment, or victimisation
• challenge discrimination in whatever form it occurs, treat seriously any complaints of unlawful discrimination and take action where appropriate

Underpinning guidance

The Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission March 2011

See their booklets:
‘What equality law means for your voluntary and community sector organisation’ 
‘What equality law means for your association, club or society’

Definitions

Discrimination
Discrimination is acting unfairly against a group or individual through, for example, exclusion, verbal comment, denigration, harassment, victimisation, a failure to appreciate needs or the assumption of such needs without consultation.

Protected characteristics as laid down in the Equality Act 2010
Age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity (which includes breastfeeding), marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Glossary

List of Equality & Diversity Definitions

Protected characteristics as listed in the Equality Act 2010 are sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity.

Disability
A person has a disability if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Types of Discrimination

Direct discrimination
Less favourable treatment of a person compared with another person because of a protected characteristic

Associative discrimination
Where a victim of discrimination does not have a protected characteristic but is discriminated against because of their association with someone who does e.g. the parent of a disabled child.

Perceptive discrimination
The belief that someone has a protected characteristic, whether or not they do.

Indirect discrimination
The use of an apparently neutral practice, provision or criterion which puts people with a particular protected characteristic at a disadvantage compared with others who do not share that characteristic, and applying the practice, provision or criterion cannot be objectively justified. 

Harassment
Unwanted behaviour that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creates a degrading, humiliating, hostile, intimidating or offensive environment. Any conduct of a sexual nature that is unwanted by the recipient, including verbal, non-verbal and physical behaviours, and which violates the victim’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment for them.

Third party harassment
Harassment of people by others (third parties) who are not members of our organisation, such as clients. Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park Group has a duty to prevent harassment and may be liable if aware that harassment has occurred on at least two previous occasions and does not take reasonable steps to prevent it from happening again.

Victimisation
Subjecting a person to a detriment because they have done a protected act or there is a belief that they have done a protected act i.e. bringing proceedings under the Act; giving evidence or information in connection with proceedings under the Act; doing any other thing for the purposes or in connection with the Act; making an allegation that a person has contravened the Act.

Positive action
Treating someone with a protected characteristic more favourably to counteract the effects of past discrimination. It is generally not lawful although the duty to make reasonable adjustments is an exception where treating a disabled person more favourably may be required by law.