Mission: ‘Accelerating the Equality agenda in Guernsey’
Equality Guernsey is a well-established consortium of local third sector organisations and individuals united by a shared vision to progress of the equality and inclusion in Guernsey.We raise awareness of Equality Diversity Inclusion and Human Rights locally. You can view the many of the materials used in our Resources section.
In 2022 we are focused on raising awareness on the States passing of Phase 1 of the Prevention of Discrimination ordinance to ensure the protection from Discrimination. You can view the proposals and resolutions on our GDA partner website discrimination legislation timeline page
To contact the team for more information please email hello@equality.gg
Karen Blanchford
Founder
Karen returned home to Guernsey in 2014 after spending much of her working life in Europe, Australasia and North America. Having a young family Karen chose to give up consulting (lots of travel) and started a new life in the 3rd sector, firstly with the Disability Alliance. Whilst working and volunteering in the sector she felt a need to pull together a wider group of like minded people on the topics of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and in 2016 formed the Equality Working Group. It’s first role being to provide input into the Government and Disability & Inclusion Strategy board on broader equality issues, findings and guidance, with specific reference to the Equality Rights Organisation (ERO).
Karen is currently We All Matter, Eh? projects director and can be contacted on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIN.
Ellie Jones
Liberate
Roselyn Mutongerwa
Vice Chair – Engage (Training)
Roselyn is the founder of WEMVision. Who are on a mission to support the social mobility of women and ethnic minorities through employment, and to enable inclusive companies to build a future-proof pipeline of diverse talent.
Roselyn has run a number of successful training sessions with Equality Guernsey focusing on Unconscious Bias and women and ethnic minorities. In November 2021 Roselyn agreed to take on the Vice Chair role with a focus on Engage (Training).
Annie Ashmead
Citizens Advice
Annie spent 16 years abroad, predominantly working for the British Council, teaching English as a Foreign Language, in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, and so has a lot of experience and appreciation of many different races, cultures and creeds. She continued teaching EFL on her return to Guernsey in 2014, as well as starting a small Airbnb business in 2019.
This keen interest in helping and working with people led Annie to contact Citizens Advice whose aims are to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and to improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives. It is this second aim which is behind the work done by Research & Campaigns, and it was in Research & Campaigns that Annie started volunteering at Citizens Advice in July 2020 and continued doing so even after starting training and volunteering as a Generalist Adviser. Since becoming the Deputy CEO in October 2021, she now heads up the Research & Campaigns team who, based on evidence of the problems faced by those who use the service, compile reports which are sent to the relevant States Committees and Media outlets. Having seen the positive impact that these reports have in raising awareness of various social policy issues, it is extremely satisfying for all the team, especially when they actually effect change.
Carol Le Page
Guernsey Disability Alliance (GDA)
Carol was brought up and educated in Guernsey at St Martin’s School and the Grammar School for Girls. She came back to Guernsey having studied in London to work in the States graduate trainee scheme. Carol stayed in the States for a further 28 years mainly working in Departments relating to social policy, including Social Security, Health and Social Care and the Policy Council. Carol has worked on the States equality and rights agenda including the disability and inclusion strategy, supported living and ageing well, same sex marriage, and other projects. Carol worked for a charity helping victims of domestic abuse on leaving the States.
Carol joined the Equality Working Group as she wants to help move forward the equality and rights agenda in the Bailiwick and sees this as an exciting and positive way to achieve this.
Carol is the Social Policy Director for the GDA. Email Carol
Jeanette Bales
Guernsey for Freedom
Lorraine Barker
Equality Guernsey
I am excited about this opportunity to be part of a highly motivated group of individuals who are working in the community to promote the equality agenda here in Guernsey.
For me this work is about treating everyone with dignity and respect and empowering people to challenge the status quo to improve their lives.
Alysa Martel
Equality Guernsey
I would be pleased to contribute in whatever way I can to promote the equality agenda. I feel passionately that everyone should be treated with fairness, dignity and respect, with no exceptions.
For me, it is about raising awareness and empowering any of us to challenge the everyday injustices that make people feel insignificant and isolated: being ignored, talked over, avoided, patronised; the institutional red tape, budget and process driven systems unable to respond to human problems and that make it difficult to access help, or sometimes foster outright bullying and discrimination.
We can be so much stronger together, coordinating effort to change cultures and challenge inequality in any guise: and challenging ourselves not to be a bystander when we see injustice in action.
