Awen Cultural Trust

Why did you enter the Investors in People 2024 Awards?

As one of the first organisations in Wales to undertake a joint assessment of IIP and IIW, achieving an improved Silver and Gold in our first Wellbeing assessment, we decided to enter the awards to celebrate this fantastic achievement, and gain recognition for the commitment and efforts that have been made to foster an inclusive, fair, equitable and supportive culture.

Awen is all about making a difference to people’s lives – our purpose is ‘making people’s lives better’, which is underpinned by the values of creative, collaborative, empowering and fair. From our incorporation in 2015, we are now a sector leading organisation and a shining example of what can be achieved with the right people in the right place at the right time. Our trustees, leaders, colleagues, partners and volunteers have all played an integral role in the success of Awen to date and to receive recognition for our achievements and continued success would cement the incredible work that has been done, and continues to be done, at Awen.

What has it meant to you, your team, and your organisation to be shortlisted for an Investors in People 2024 Award?

We are a proud Welsh organisation with a diverse portfolio which includes theatres and creative wellbeing, libraries, community centres, services for adults with learning disabilities and a country park. We also manage Bryngarw House, a wedding and events venue. Managing this portfolio of 18 venues over a footprint across the county boroughs of Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Blaenau Gwent, with a workforce of circa 190 requires collaboration, robust communication channels and leadership that is empowering, trusting and inclusive.

The People Team is made up of the Head of People, People and Governance Manager and People and Governance Administrator and as a small team they work closely together to drive the people agenda forward with emphasis on workforce wellbeing and support, exceptional customer service to our managers and colleagues and embedding equity, inclusion and belonging throughout all that we do. The team continue to impact positively on Awen’s inclusive culture and help drive the business forward positively impacting on outcomes for our partners, and customers.

During a very busy time, when we are opening and developing multi-million-pound projects, which house theatres, libraries and community services, being shortlisted is a proud moment for Awen’s board and leadership team and provides evidence that the continued commitment and dedication of colleagues and volunteers is recognised by a well-regarded standard.

What would it mean to your organisation to win an Investors in People 2024 Award?

Since 2016, colleague engagement and feedback surveys has been key to how Awen has grown its inclusive and supportive culture. This is our second assessment for IIP and our first for IIW; we are also on the journey to be assessed for IIV.

We feel that the whole framework provides a clear and defined process to assess and fairly measure our successes against similar organisations and receive external recognition of the standards we have reached. Winning the award for Third Sector Employer would be something that would be dedicated to every trustee, colleague and volunteer present and past who have helped Awen become the organisation it is today.

How important is it for your organisation to be a part of the Investors in People community and engage in awards and events like this one?

For Awen recognition through IIP and IIW is not about ticking the boxes and the logos, it is about authentically engaging with colleagues to obtain constructive and honest feedback to help improve and make Awen a great place to work.

Investors in People is globally recognised and to be in the company of long-standing and established organisations is a privilege and testament to how far we have come in a short period. Being part of the community cements our commitment and demonstrates to colleagues, customers, applicants, stakeholders and partners that we are serious about making work better. Our culture is trusting and transparent and we will continue to listen, improve and communicate effectively so that colleagues feel valued and enjoy coming to work every day. Through engaging in the full Investors framework, we can evidence and be assured that we are doing great things for our workforce and volunteers, which leads to greater impact and outcomes for the beneficiaries and communities we serve. Taking part in events and being able to offer a colleague to attend and enjoy the celebrations, gives us an opportunity to demonstrate to colleagues that this is about them and without them we wouldn’t be who we are.

Why did you enter the Investors in People 2024 Awards?

We have entered the Investors in People Awards for Health and Wellbeing because we want to celebrate our success. As a charity we have been creative with our initiatives and used resources carefully whilst trying to fulfil our people’s expectations and needs. The awards allow Awen to benchmark our achievements against recognised organisations and to be amongst such shortlisted of such a high calibre is a proud moment.

To achieve Gold in our first IIW assessment has been truly amazing and testament to everyone who has helped develop our wellbeing strategy and embed a caring and inclusive culture.

The whole organisation has embraced wellbeing and support, and it is well-established as part of our culture. Being celebrated by a globally recognised body really does evidence that we are on the right path and doing great things to foster a caring and supporting culture and one which is free from stigma and where you can be your whole self.

What has it meant to you, your team, and your organisation to be shortlisted for an Investors in People 2024 Award?

Being shortlisted in this category after our first assessment is such an honour for myself, my team, trustees and all colleagues. As a leader I’ve driven the wellbeing and mental health agenda forward since 2018, which started when I told my story through a Vlog and shared it with all colleagues. Having a leader tell their story along with some other colleagues was one of the most powerful initiatives we have ever done, and this set the tone for the future. To be shortlisted validates all the investment we have made in time and resources to shape the culture we have today.

We wanted to create a truly honest, transparent, safe and stigma-free culture, where everyone felt they have someone to talk, and they would be fully supported, without judgement or detriment and, thanks to my team and an excellent group of managers and supervisors, we have achieved this in so many ways. As a small team of three, being shortlisted in such a competitive category demonstrates our success in delivering and growing a meaningful and positive culture of support at Awen.

As an organisation, being able to demonstrate our people-centric approach and our commitment to health and wellbeing, supports attraction, recruitment and retention of high-calibre applicants. It demonstrates to partners and stakeholders that we really do care about people, and our purpose of ‘Making People’s Lives Better’ and values of Creative, Collaborative, Empowering and Fair are being met internally.

Being shortlisted symbolises that our culture and everything that we have achieved and have in place is not tokenistic, but genuine and real, helping us stand out as an employer of choice and a leading charity in our sector.

What would it mean to your organisation to win an Investors in People 2024 Award?

Winning the award would be such an amazing achievement and occasion as from day one it has not been about the accolades or the titles; it was important to us that our culture was effectively embedded before seeking recognition and award. Our approach has always been about the people, making a real impact in their lives, helping them through difficult periods and making sure all colleagues and volunteers feel supported and part of the Awen family.

We realise that it is a journey; you must be resilient, flexible and listen to the workforce and their needs and expectations. We have listened and will continue to listen and flex as and when we need to, supporting every colleague and volunteer who joins us. The award would absolutely demonstrate the success of our journey this far and motivate myself, my team and the whole organisation to continue invest in a culture of wellbeing and support, which is stigma-free and one where everyone knows their worth and value.

Ultimately, winning the award would unequivocally demonstrate and reflect our commitment, dedication and aspiration to make Awen a truly inclusive organisation, which cares about its people and where everyone feels they belong.

How important is it for your organisation to be a part of the Investors in People community and engage in awards and events like this one?

For Awen, being part of the Investors in People community provides us with an opportunity to receive independent advice and recommendations to strengthen and develop our people strategy. Engaging in awards and giving colleagues the opportunity to attend demonstrates to the wider workforce that this is journey that we are all on together, and one where their commitment and dedication is valued and appreciated.

As a globally recognised framework, we can meet likeminded organisations and leaders in their own rights, providing opportunity to share best practice, support each other and celebrate our successes. Benchmarking is a significant benefit to being part of the community as it provides trustees, partners, stakeholders, colleagues and volunteers with a gauge of where Awen is positioned across similar size organisations in our sector. Through being part of the Investors in People community, we can identify gaps, be inspired and make positive changes to make work better for everyone.

You can never stand still, and it is important that we learn and continue to improve what we do, to achieve positive outcomes for the workforce and help every person succeed and thrive, helping them become the best version of themselves. Being part of the Investors in People Community ensures that we don’t stand still!