GENUINELY INCLUSIVE REFRESHINGLY NEWTON

I value fairness and so have always been passionate about equality of opportunities and treatment. The data never fails to shock me - did you know that globally only 28% of managerial positions are women and 18% CEOs? For me and many others in Newton, getting involved in N-Clude has been a way to channel our passion and energy. 

We are on a journey when it comes to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In the time I’ve been here, it has gone from something that a handful of people really cared about, to one of the strategic priorities set by the leadership team, with ambitious targets for the next few years. N-Clude has played an important part in that change. This year, the Inclusion Survey, which we launched in 2019, highlighted Newton’s strong desire for our focus to shift from building awareness to taking action. Looking to the future, N-Clude will focus on improving everyone’s sense of belonging and making sure that it is the same across all groups.

While there had been many great initiatives organised by and for women at Newton in the past, we felt we could have a bigger and more sustainable impact through a formal group. When I organised a workshop in early 2020 to discuss this idea, I was really overwhelmed by the number who came and said they wanted just that. Since setting up Wom-N, it’s been really awesome to see so many wanting to get involved and really putting in a lot of effort.

As well as connecting women, there has been an emphasis on action right from the beginning. One key focus is supporting the culture which underpins Newton’s target that 30% of the leadership and 50% of the whole company will be made up by women within three years. I think this is a really important role for Wom-N to play as it’s not enough just to have 50% of Newton as women - we want to ensure those women have the equal opportunities to thrive and be valued at Newton.

I first got involved in the Newton Foundation because social mobility is something I am incredibly passionate about, having personally felt like I had managed to break through the obstacles that society puts up around social mobility. Many of my friends, didn't make it to University, not because they weren't talented, but as a result of the fact that opportunity isn't equal and circumstances are unfair.

People at Newton want to have an impact with the work they do, and the Newton Foundation provides a way to have an impact above and beyond our day-to-day client work. From my experience working with The Elephant Group (TEG) over the past couple of years, helping disadvantaged children to get a place in one of the top third universities, I’ve not only been able to make an impact in an area I care deeply about, but the personal development opportunities have been huge and absolutely rapid too. I and other Newtons have had the chance to contribute to TEG in so many different formats, from setting up the first ever Summer School, to supporting individual students with how confident they feel in their applications through to supporting the organisation in their growth strategy. 

One of the things I love most about the Newton Foundation is that it’s an umbrella for supporting enthusiastic and passionate Newton employees who are driven by their desire to make a difference. It's not a top down directive, with the leadership deciding the causes we're going to support and telling you what you can get involved in. Anyone at Newton who has a cause that they care about and wants to make a difference can get some support, whether that’s help with fundraising, taking off days to volunteer or getting more people from across the business involved.

Ultimately, CSR happens at Newton because there are individuals in the business who care enough to make it happen.