Att10tive youth ambassador reveals the secrets to inclusion for Luton’s events

Mahnoor examines Luton’s 2040 plans which has two key aims:

• Becoming a child friendly town, where our children grow up happy, healthy and secure, with a voice that matters and the opportunities they need to thrive

• Supporting a strong and empowered community, built on fairness, local pride and a powerful voice for all our residents.

She said “Inclusion allows broader participation and ensures everyone from the population is represented and that there is a voice for all groups of people. There are many factors to consider when deciding if a project is "inclusive". Is the project designed to include people from all different types of backgrounds, cultures and ages? Does it engage different races and genders? Or perhaps, is it accessible to people with special needs, disabilities or those with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Having a balance of these different factors and ensuring equal access can be the difference between an event that is inclusive and one that is not.

So, how can projects be more inclusive?

When planning a project, you should consider what each group of people will gain from taking part. This could be some form of valuable information they gain, a unique experience, a chance to unwind or to simply network. Having more than one reason for people to participate and catering these to the needs of your target audience will increase the likelihood of having more people participate

In order to achieve these aims the following principles are important;

Inclusion Matters: Ensuring that local events are inclusive means broader participation and representation of diverse backgrounds, giving a voice to all groups - some people just cannot afford to access participation.

So my top Tips for Inclusive Projects and events are:

Plan with Purpose: Cater to the needs of different groups, offering unique experiences, valuable information, or networking opportunities. Aim to bring people together who wouldn’t usually meet.

Spread the Word: Use various platforms to promote events, both online and offline, create targeted virtual posters, and ensure accessibility with inclusive fonts, colours, and languages.

Encourage Interaction: On the day of the event, promote mingling and active participation. Utilize sign language interpreters and translators to increase accessibility.Catering to Everyone: Meet the needs of all attendees, even if specific groups are uncertain to attend. Conduct surveys and focus groups to shape inclusive events.

Accessibility is Key: Offer diverse dietary options and label allergens. Provide opportunities either free or subsidised

Affordability. Challenges like budget constraints and may arise, but with planning and collaboration, these hurdles can be overcome. Inclusion is an ongoing effort requiring continuous feedback and improvement.

Avoide separation. So, everything has gone to plan: your virtual posters were successful and many people will be coming to your event but what will you do on the day to be inclusive? If your event or project involves people interacting with each other it is important that you avoid small clusters of groups forming.

Encourage mingling between people and ensure everyone is getting involved. People won't consider the event to be inclusive if only one group of people seem to be involved or actively taking part, therefore make sure you are active in sparking excitement in your attendees. Interaction is also likely to increase if you plan for inclusion from the very beginning.”

Att10tive is leading the charge for more inclusive, engaging, and community-driven events in Luton and Bedfordshire. For more information, contact Att10tive Social Enterprise at [email protected].