Equality and Diversity

Oadby and Wigston borough is a diverse community made up of residents and businesses from different social, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. As a Council, we value and celebrate that diversity and believe it essential to try to understand the different contributions, perspectives and experience that people in our community have.

We also recognise that not everyone who lives in the Borough, necessarily experience the same level of wealth, health, security, educational, leisure and work opportunities. Some individuals or groups may not experience equality of opportunity and access to equal rights.

Some individuals or groups can face prejudice and discrimination which affect their lives. We know this can have a detrimental effect on the quality of their lives, the opportunities they can access and their ability to exercise their rights fully. For example, some people may experience discrimination and prejudice based on having a disability, being a member of a minority ethnic group, or because of their gender, sexual orientation, age or religion. People can also experience prejudice and discrimination because of their social background, poverty or other factors such as poor health or education.

For this reason, we believe that everyone in our Borough deserves excellent "Fair and Equitable public services" that reflect their individual needs and circumstances.

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council aims to ensure:

• Diversity is welcomed and is promoted as a positive force in our community,
• People's differences are understood, valued and respected,
• We take action to foster and promote good relations between all local communities,
• All our services are fully accessible and any barriers are addressed,
• The workforce reflects the profile of our community,
• There is zero tolerance of unlawful discrimination and harassment of any kind and
• Everyone is able to access the opportunities and life chances on offer.

As a council, we have agreed 3 priorities in consultation with our residents. These are:

• Good quality of life for all residents,

• A clean, green and safer environment and

• A successful economy.

In working to achieve these priorities we will strive to ensure that the service and opportunities we provide are fair and accessible to all members of our community.