The Anna Plowden Trust's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

The killing of George Floyd leading to global outrage and a refocus on the Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on systemic racism and inequality across all spheres of society. At the Anna Plowden Trust we recognise the challenges and issues with equality, diversity and inclusion within our own conservation sector and are striving to take action that leads to change.

Supporting conservation training and raising awareness of conservation have always been our primary goals, and our grant-giving seeks to prevent financial reasons from being an obstacle to someone entering the conservation sector or developing their skills. The Trust wishes to renew its commitment to making sure its support and promotion of conservation is free from bias and reaches all underrepresented groups.

To this end the Trustees convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss these important issues. It was acknowledged that it is of vital importance that young people from all backgrounds should be aware of conservation as a potential career path, so the Trust is currently developing partnerships that will help introduce the conservation sector to a wide range of people at an early age. We are also reviewing our grant application processes to ensure that they are free from any unconscious biases. This is an ongoing endeavour and we will continue to strive to improve and review progress.

The work of conservators as guardians of cultural heritage is both a responsibility and a privilege - one that should be open to all.