The British Council represents the very best of modern, diverse UK, and the Diversity Unit continues this through the services we offer, the programmes we run and through the profile of our workforce.The Unit is responsible for setting the strategic direction and supporting implementation for the British Council’s work in equality and diversity, across all 110 offices worldwide.
Fiona is Head of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at the British Council, the UK’s principle cultural relations organisation whose work covers the areas of Arts, Education & Training, English Language Teaching, Governance, Information & Knowledge and Science. With offices in 109 countries, the British Council’s equality and diversity agenda must balance the need for consistent standards in this area with the necessary attention to local and cultural norms and issues. This is what makes her role especially challenging but also extremely interesting.
Fiona was born in Ghana West Africa and settled in the UK at the age of fourteen. She lives in London and has a background in social work, social work education and consultancy in equality and diversity. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma in Social Work, a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and an M.Phil in Social Policy (Cranfield University). She is a member of the Higher Education Academy and the Professional Mediators Association.
In 2002 Fiona received a Mainstreaming Diversity Award from the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners and in June 2005 Fiona was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her equality and diversity work.
Jane Franklin is Deputy Head of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at the British Council where she has worked since 1995, joining the Diversity Unit in 2001. She has particular responsibility for managing the UK-based Diversity Working Groups and Global Diversity Network, and also is heavily involved with the equality monitoring that takes place at the British Council. Jane is currently studying for an MA in Promoting Equality and Managing Diversity. Her dissertation will focus on managing diversity in international organisations, and will explore the need for balance between coherence (an organisation-wide approach) and flexibility to take account of local operating contexts (different social, cultural, political norms and legal requirements etc). The findings of this research will be summarised and presented at an international diversity conference being organised by the British Council in February 2008. Jane is based in the British Council office in Manchester.
Magnus joined the British Council in April 2007 and now works as Administration and Projects co-ordinator within the Diversity Unit. As well as ensuring the smooth running of the office, he has responsibility for overseeing much of the project work within the unit, and helps to manage the Global Diversity Network and the diversity working groups.
Magnus grew up in Wakefield, England, and studied Modern History at the University of Warwick before moving to Poland where he taught English and studied for a Masters in Central and Eastern European Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. After returning to England he relocated to London and began working at the British Council.
When not immersed in emails, he enjoys travelling, football (particularly of the fantasy league variety), history and current events and is an avid pub quiz enthusiast.
The Diversity Unit needs ongoing engagement and dialogue with our colleagues working in the countries in which we operate. This helps our work to have an international focus. The Global Diversity Network (GDN) was formed in 2004 and exists to encourage the mainstreaming of equal opportunities and diversity throughout all aspects of the British Council’s work, both internal and external, across the world. Members of the GDN have 5% built into their job description and the associated support of their line managers to take forward work focusing on equality and diversity.
The Diversity Unit manage internal working groups focusing on different areas of diversity such as disability and work-life balance. These working groups aim to develop and progress the British Council’s agenda in these areas and reflect our commitment to equal opportunities and managing and valuing diversity.
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