Welcome to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Wellbeing at King's
About us
King’s is committed to embedding good equality, diversity and inclusion practice into all our activities so that the university becomes a richer and more diverse place to work and study.
As an employer and educator, King’s recognises its legal duties as well as the moral imperative to promote diversity and inclusion within the campus community and to provide a safe and healthy environment for work and study where staff, students and other members of the King’s community are treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.
The work of EDI not only ensures that King’s meets and upholds its legal obligations in regard to equality and anti-discrimination law, but also makes positive interventions to embed the ethos diversity and inclusion into policy, processes and everyday practice, working to eliminate barriers to participation and success.
If you are a King's student or member of staff, you can check out the diversity of King's using our EDI Dashboards which present you with visuals of the data that we use to inform our projects and interventions.
Services
Governance
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion is a key enabler of King's Vision 2029 and our EDI governance structure has been designed to embed EDI throughout all structural levels of the College. Accountability for EDI within King's sits with the College's Council, who delegate to the President and Principal who works with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Academic Board to deliver actions.
The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (EDIC), is currently chaired by the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and has been created as a sub-committee of the SMT to oversee and monitor the implementation of King's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategic goals. The EDIC meets termly during the academic year and membership comprises of senior representatives from across the College.
Working alongside the EDIC is the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Forum (EDIF). The EDIF is a body for staff and student voices and it comprises of diverse members who represent the breadth of perspectives of the King's community. It provides the EDIC with insight into staff and student community experiences. Members are representative of their respective areas and are expected to communicate key issues and updates, acting as a key link between local community and King's governance and decision-making structure.
Partnerships and Charter Marks
Athena Swan
The Athena SWAN charter is a framework launched in 2005 to recognise the commitment of institutions that promote and advance careers of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) in academia. The charter and associated award has now expanded to address gender equality more widely in higher education.
Business Disability Forum
King's joined the Business Disability Forum (BDF) in 2017 to demonstrate it's commitment to ensuring disability inclusion is a key strategic priority for the university. The BDF work with over 550 members offering advice and support to organisations to me more disability-smart.
Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei)
Enei are an organisation that supports organisations to establish and sustain diverse teams and work to promote inclusive culture within the workplace.
Mental Health at Work Commitment
Mental Health at Work brings together organisations to commit to supporting the wellbeing and positive mental health of staff. They offer a range of expert resources & toolkits.
Race Equality Charter Mark
The Race Equality Charter is led by Advance HE. The charter supports universities to detect and address barriers facing Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and students. KCL holds a bronze charter award.
Stonewall
Stonewall is an organisation that stands for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) rights. Over the last 30 years, they have helped create transformative change in the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the UK. They have been at the forefront of making workplaces inclusive for LGBTQ+ people for more than 15 years. That includes us, as a part of the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, where we work in partnership to empower LGBTQ+ people and their allies to step up as leaders, role models, and activists in our workplace.
Sunflower Lanyard Scheme
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for individuals to share that they may have a disability or condition that may not be immediatly apparent. King's supports the scheme, with sunflower lanyards available to collect across our campusus and there is also training available for KCL staff & students to help recognise and support those displaying a sunflower.
Working Families Index
The Working Families Index is a UK charity which supports parents and carers. Their mission is to remove barriers faced in the workplace by those with caring responsibilities.
The Maternity Pledge
We are a social enterprise that provides support for the transition into motherhood, otherwise known as matrescence, and improves maternity leave and the return to work for new mothers.
Inclusion and Awareness Calendar
We have created an inclusion & awareness and calendar. The calendar contains notable dates which may be celebrated, marked and or acknowledged by our university community.
View the calendar as a PDF below:
Policies
All of King's Policies can be found on the Policy Hub here.
Meet the team
Lorraine Kelly (she/her) – Director of Culture and Talent
Lorraine’s leadership spans a range of staff strategies including positive workplace culture activities, mental health and wellbeing initiatives, leadership and management programmes. Her expertise and commitment is central to King’s focus on driving a culture where our staff and students can thrive, feel they belong and have every opportunity to contribute effectively.
Harjeet Moore (she/her) – Interim Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Hi, I am Harjeet, the Interim Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) for King's College London.
My background has been working in Human Resources for just over 25 years within various sectors, and over the last 15 years I have had a focus on EDI, Wellbeing and Mental Health. I also volunteer at my son's local grass roots football club as their Welfare and Inclusion Officer.
These are areas I am incredibly passionate about and believe that it is important to have a truly intersectional inclusive culture where we create environments so everyone feels safe, has a sense of belonging, is empowered to achieve their full potential, and that we have an impact on wider society.
Jennifer Hastings – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager
I am an EDI Manager at KCL, leading on our race equality work. I also manage two EDI Project Officers.
I come from a Students’ Union background, having begun my career as an adviser. In my most recent role as Head of Student Voice at LSESU, I developed the organisation’s first EDI strategy. I love to work collaboratively and believe it’s important to allow different perspectives to influence our work.
I have a particular interest in mental health, intersectional feminism, and how socio-economic factors shape our experiences. I’m also a big fan of bakeries and dogs.
Heidi Wright (she/her) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager (Wellbeing)
Hello! I'm Heidi and I am an EDI Manager, leading on Wellbeing. My background is in Psychology and Nutrition. I am a new member of the team and my focus is on how we can improve mental and physical health at King's through fostering an intersectional approach to wellbeing. I'm passionate about reducing inequalities and creating a more just society where everyone can thrive.
In my personal time I am a massive foodie and love exploring different cuisines! I've also recently discovered a passion for gardening.
Becca Browett (she/her) – Strategic Programme Manager for Preventing and Addressing Bullying and Harassment
Hello! I am the Strategic Programme Manager for Preventing and Addressing Bullying and Harassment. I am leading the development of a strategy to tackle bullying and harassment in all its forms for both staff and students. Prior to this role, I worked in the Education & Students Directorate leading the implementation of King’s Education Strategy 2017 - 22, management of the Teaching Excellence Framework and the education response to Covid-19.
I come from an academic background, having completed a PhD and been a lecturer in Medieval History. I have a particular interest in staff and student wellbeing, and creating inclusive and respectful work and learning environments where every individual can thrive
Jemma Adams (she/her) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager - Disability Inclusion
I'm Jemma, EDI Manager for Disability Inclusion. I lead on our disability inclusion and accessibility work which aims to improve the experience of disabled staff and students at King’s. I have worked in the EDI team since 2020 and prior to joining King's I worked in the education sector, working with schools and school leaders on a range of EDI and other projects.
My interest in matters of equality, diversity and inclusion started through engagement with feminist and liberation theology and theologies of sexuality and gender. This background and my personal journey to identifying as a queer pagan influences both my EDI work and how I navigate life more generally. Outside of work my volunteering is focused on inclusion and diversity in cycling, campaigning in particular for trans inclusion in sport.
Sophie Rust (she/her) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
I am Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion Coordinator for the Success for Black Engineers Programme. Before this I was an EDI Project Officer, working part time in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, and I have also worked in the Careers & Employability Team. I am a member of UNISON.
Jake Orros (he/him) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Project Officer
Hello! I’m Jake and I am an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Project Officer. I spend part of my week embedded in the Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences. I also support Race Equality Charter work across the university.
I first came to King’s as an undergrad student in 2014. I have previously worked for Pride in London and King’s Widening Participation team. In my spare time I volunteer with a youth charity, providing support and guidance on inclusion projects.
Hannah Sauer (she/her) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisor
Hello! My name is Hannah and I work as an EDI Advisor. I provide support on Disability Inclusion work and with running our flagship training, Diversity Matters.
Before working at King’s, I worked in state Secondary Education for 11 years, both as an English & Film teacher and as an Equalities Coordinator. I passionately believe that education has the power to create a more just future for everyone. It is both an experience that should be diverse, equitable and inclusive and a tool to create empathy, collaboration and deeper understanding.
When I’m not at work, I love knitting, learning languages and eating cake!
Roberta Canovari (she/her) – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Project Officer
Hello, I’m Roberta and I am an EDI Project officer in the Projects & Partnerships Team. I support the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with their EDI objectives and I provide support on disability inclusion projects at King's.
My career and voluntary background spans the language industry, the civil service, mental health and refugee charities. My interest in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion started with feminism and I am passionate about looking at EDI through an intersectional lens. I also love live music, hiking and exploring food cultures
Sulekha Hassan – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Project Officer
Hello, I’m Sulekha, I am an EDI Project officer at King's. As part of my work I support the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care with their EDI goals and interventions.
Contact us
Got a question for EDI?
You can reach the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team by emailing diversity@kcl.ac.uk
King’s colleagues can also use our convenient enquiry form to ensure we track and respond to your requests promptly. Please use this form to contact the EDI team. Don’t forget, you can also discover more about the work of the EDI team and the answers to many of your questions in our EDI intranet pages.