Chamber announces partnership with LGBTQ+ employee network

A Midlands group for LGBTQ+ employees has joined forces with Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) in a key new partnership to help make the region the best working environment for its members.

The Alliance Network, a non-incorporated body, was set up to bring together LGBTQ+ professionals and employee networks with the aim of making the Midlands the best place for its members to work.

Now the biggest business group across the region, the GBCC, has agreed to form a partnership with The Alliance Network to help the organisation to grow and prosper.

The Network 's management committee chair Paul Eaves-Seeley said: “The Alliance Network is really excited about our new partnership, which is key to our strategy of growing and evolving our Network for our members.

“We have over 350 members from a wide range of organisations, including private and public sector. Professions include professional services such as accounting and legal, financial services, hospitality, engineering, technology, education and NHS. Our membership is from a range of roles from early careers through to directors. ”

Paul said the aim of The Alliance Network was “to collaborate across different types of organisations, sharing best practice and creating networking opportunities and support for LGBTQ+ and our allies. ”

He added: “Our strategy is to continue to grow and support a wider range of businesses, including medium and smaller organisations and our partnership with the Chamber will be key to help us continue to grow. ”

The Alliance Network says many LGBTQ+ people working in the Midlands currently do not have access to the same support as their counterparts in London, where activity and sponsorship is much more visible.

The Network was set up in the Midlands embracing three main themes around people, business and community.

The trio of objectives involve providing stronger local support and more events for its members, driving change and improvements within the business sector and helping relevant local charities and organisations across its community.

The body is non-incorporated - neither a business nor a charity - with a Management Committee which meets monthly. Its three-year strategy is reviewed every November with progress against the longer term strategy reviewed by the committee every quarter.

Last year the Network arranged an array of activities, including a Commonwealth Games event hosted by PwC with a panel of athletes, a Birmingham Pride event in collaboration with Colmore BID, two virtual Trans Awareness events hosted by HSBC and a quiz hosted by Alliance and Colmore BID in Purecraft Bar and Kitchen which helped raise funds for Birmingham LGBT+ Centre.

Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Alliance Network.

“At the Chamber we are here to empower businesses and young professionals to fulfil their potential. In a region as spectacularly diverse as this, that means inclusivity must sit at the heart of what we do and how we do it.

"This partnership allows us to go straight to working with the experts on being LGBTQ+ in business in the region as a network led by and for LGBTQ+ professionals.

"We are looking forward to working together on a range of activity both for our members and colleagues, and raising awareness of the Alliance Network's work. ”