Diversity and Inclusion

As a membership charity our purpose is to promote the study, teaching and enjoyment of history to the widest possible audience. We want everyone, regardless of background, to be able to engage with, debate, examine and shape history. As part of our ethos on diversity and inclusion we will not tolerate those who promote ideologies which seek to exclude or denigrate specific groups of people.

We have a broad definition of diversity which includes: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and parenthood, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation, education, experience, socioeconomic status, heritage and geography.

Within the HA, inclusion means valuing and celebrating differences and encouraging a workplace and a culture in which all can thrive.  Within our own activities and as we work in partnership with others to achieve common objectives, we seek to guarantee that individuals from all backgrounds are respected, supported, engaged, and have a voice within the HA. 

Our staff and volunteers

We strive to be a fair and equal employer and to promote a supportive and inclusive workplace. We are working hard to ensure both our staff and our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds. This will help us understand the breadth of experience that our members and our branch members encompass and to ensure that the HA is an open and inclusive organisation. 

Our work

We work hard to monitor and continually evaluate the history that we present through our podcasts and that we publish in print and online to ensure that it reflects the diversity of the past. We also seek to ensure that our events present a wide range of histories and that they are open and accessible to everyone.

Our plans

We are actively working to help teachers review and develop their curricula to reflect the diverse histories of the population of their locality and of the nation and to help young people to appreciate the complexity and changing nature of relationships over time between Britain and the wider world.  

We recognise that those who continue to study history as a formal academic discipline beyond with the age of 16 (within schools, colleges and universities) do not always reflect the diverse make-up of modern British society. We are therefore working hard to encourage a greater diversity of young people to continue with history beyond GCSE. This is a long-term aspiration that will need significant work, monitoring and review if we are to see improvement. Developing a clearer understanding of the obstacles represents an important first step in overcoming them.

This policy is part of our ongoing review into our work and our strategic priorities. It is not set in stone and will be reviewed and revised as part of our strategic planning process and in line with relevant legislative change. Our annual report will include provide a regular update on the work undertaken to advance these aspirations.