Black Lives Matter statement

Mike Regnier – Chief Executive Officer at Yorkshire Building Society, statement to all colleagues on Black Lives Matter.

Most of us will have seen the tragic and shocking death of George Floyd in the US. It’s certainly not the first time this has happened Stateside unfortunately, and the fact that this terrible incident has mobilised protests right around the globe is testament to the strength of feeling right now.

Closer to home people took to the streets too last weekend; the pictures from Huddersfield showed the sheer volume of people wanting to show support for their fellow humanity, whilst the clash of differing groups with very differing views in the capital made for uncomfortable viewing.

We of course have our head office in one of the most diverse parts of the country, Bradford. It’s a magnificent city to be part of and like so many other places across the country it is strengthened not weakened by its diversity.

The fact that we are so closely connected to the city reminds me that we can and should do everything we can to reflect the communities that we serve.

I’m proud that at Yorkshire Building Society we have been focusing for years now on building an environment of inclusivity where we hope everyone feels they can thrive, no matter what their background; race; gender; disability; age; sexual preference; or religion, and truly be themselves.

We’ll continue to have this focus. At the same I know there’s much more we can and will do in the future to be an inclusive and welcoming organisation, and we’re currently re-shaping our Inclusion Strategy to make sure this important topic continues to have the attention it needs and deserves.

However - If there’s one thing we can do right here and right now, it’s making it clear to each other that it’s okay to talk about this. It can be difficult, I know – but dialogue and understanding is the way to move forward, I’m sure.

 

W21-20

All information correct at time of publication.