Equity, inclusion and diversity

We should all have equal opportunity to benefit from our ocean and to take responsibility to protect it for the future.

Whoever and wherever we are, we share one ocean and all its wonders.

However, while some benefit greatly from everything our seas have to give, others are unfairly excluded. While some can play their part in protecting our ocean, others are unrepresented and disrespected.

At the Marine Conservation Society, we are committed to working for the future of our ocean together, driving political and social change through people, science and evidence. We know we can only effectively and sustainably protect habitats and regenerate ecosystems if everyone can participate and this means making sure all our work is fair and inclusive.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are a vital part of our everyday work to protect our ocean, not an add-on. We want to make sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of the ocean and act as guardians so both our seas and people can thrive.

2 beach cleaners having fun at a Great British Beach Clean in Scarborough. | Image credit: Matthew Johnstone

As staff members we support and nurture a welcoming culture where everyone can be their authentic self. We all have a responsibility to put fairness, inclusion, representation and respect at the heart of our work.
As an organisation we work to be representative and inclusive across our teams and our Board.
As a leading UK marine charity we place a focus on accessibility and inclusion when developing projects, campaigns and events so that we can reach our members and supporters across all geographies and backgrounds.
As part of the wider environmental movement we drive, share and learn from best practice and advocate fairness, inclusion, representation and respect in both the sector and governance of the ocean.

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work is central to our way of living and working together, rather than a time-bound set of actions. We follow a continuous cycle of action, reflection, learning and planning. And we will keep changing, adapting, learning from other organisations and contexts as well as our own experiences and those of others.

We do this through four main areas:

We have a cross-organisational working group that focusses on equity, inclusion and diversity and we share what we learn.
We participate in external groups and coalitions to improve fairness, inclusion, representation and respect in the wider sector.
We provide training to all our staff on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
We regularly challenge and check ourselves to determine what we are doing well and what needs to improve.
We continue to develop and improve - getting help from individuals and organisations with the knowledge and experience to mentor and support us through our learning journey.

We have commitment from our Board to deliver equity, inclusion and diversity goals across all aspects of our operations.
We have established accountability and reporting responsibilities with the Director of Engagement & Communications and the Board’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion.
We consistently review and update our equality, inclusion and diversity policy as we learn and grow.
We carry out equity, inclusion and diversity impact assessments for all our policies.
We ensure equity, inclusion and diversity are embedded in all our strategy and policy development
We report on organisational equity, inclusion and diversity in our Annual Impact Report.
We continuously work to ensure our digital content across social media, email and our website is accessible. We strive for AA WCAG 2.2 standards on our website (and AAA where possible), use descriptive alt text across all imagery and caption our video content, and regularly check a range of usability issues.

We work with inland communities to nurture their connection to the coast and sea to ensure that all people, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity to take action for the ocean.
We continuously review and adapt our project activities, public training sessions, talks and workshops to ensure they are both accessible and relevant to the audiences we are working with.
We ringfence funding within projects to increase inclusion, by tackling barriers to attendance e.g. transport costs, especially for inland communities to visit the coast and sea.
We map project areas to identify underrepresented groups and offer them opportunities to connect with our work.
We respect the cultural importance of the Welsh language in terms of how people connect to the coast and sea by producing bilingual resources for projects in Wales.
We share learning with national ocean literacy networks to develop best practice methods of community engagement to support Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts across the UK.

In our work with UK Overseas Territories (UKOT) partners, we seek to embed key principles of anti-colonisation including recognising that the environment is a devolved area of responsibility for UKOT governments.
We ensure we understand and acknowledge the multiple histories, including colonialism and slavery, along with their social and economic legacies in the UKOTs where we have projects.
We prioritise and learn from UKOT voices and experience - individuals, communities, experts and leaders.
We collectively co-develop best practice on engaging and empowering UKOT communities, governments, and NGOs to sustainably manage, steward and benefit from Marine Protected Areas and marine resources.
We collectively learn and co-develop best practice to ensure UKOT communities, governments and NGOs benefit from, are involved in, and have access to, conservation and research funding, plus the associated programme and project development.

If you have questions about our equity, inclusion and diversity plan of action, contact [email protected]

More about us

Blackpool beach with footprints in the sand. A rollercoaster is in the background as part of the pleasure park

Our trustees

Our trustees govern the charity. They're unpaid volunteers with a wide range of skills and experience who share our passion for the ocean.

Vivid green seagrass is photographed underwater in the Isle of Scilly. The white sand seabed is visible, and the water is a bright turquoise blue.

Our action plan

Learn more about our goals to regenerate and protect our ocean.

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What we promise in return for your support.

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