Sefton Council retains Navajo Charter Mark at annual awards ceremony

Posted on: 11/10/2022 14:49

Sefton Council was once again awarded the Navajo Charter Mark for displaying good practice and commitment towards its LGBT+ staff and community at the annual Navajo Awards Ceremony, held at The City of Liverpool College on Thursday 6th October 2022.

In 2018, Sefton became the first local authority to receive the charter mark recognising its commitment to LGBT+ people across the Borough.

Other organisations were who retained or newly received the award on 6thincluded Sefton CVS, charity Sahir House, and the Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust.

Also in attendance was British Paralympian A.J. Jackson, who spoke on their experiences regarding inclusion before taking part in Q&A for ceremony attendees.

The Navajo Merseyside & Cheshire LGBT+ Charter Mark is an equality mark sponsored by In-Trust Merseyside and supported by the LGBT+ community networks across Merseyside. It is a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing LGBT+ people across Merseyside.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “By retaining our Navajo Charter Mark, we are once again sending a strong message to LGBT+ people across Sefton and beyond that as an organisation, we value them, understand their needs.

"Sefton Council is committed to ensuring that our Borough enables everybody to be their true selves and will continue to make sure we do everything we can to support the LGBT+ community. "

The process to receive the Navajo Charter Mark consists of ten assessment criteria, each asking for supporting resources. These resources include documents such as Sefton Council's Equality & Diversity Policy, an equality monitoring form, or brief details of working procedures, for example specific staff policies.

Organisations wanting to find out more about the free Navajo Charter Mark and the process involved should visit the In-Trust website.