Equalities
An equal society protects and promotes equal, real freedom and substantive opportunity to live in the ways people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish. An equal society recognises people’s different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be.
Equality is:
- Necessary for the individual – it is a basic right to be free from prejudice and discrimination
- Necessary for society – an equal society gives greater social cohesion
- Necessary for our economy – a modern economy thrives in a culture of equality which brings employers the widest labour pool, which sees all participate in the labour market and recognises that diversity helps us compete in a global economy
Northumberland National Park Authority believes that everyone has the right to be treated fairly and to have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, therefore we will only issue grants to groups who adopt and practice the principles of equal opportunities.
Legislation against discrimination has been very important in raising the profile of equalities issues. It has helped to establish the public value of eliminating prejudice and unfairness, given representation and voice to different groups, and ultimately made a difference to people’s behaviour.
All grant recipients must therefore be socially inclusive of anyone involved with the project, regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexuality, religion, or geographical location. This will form part of the Terms and Conditions of every grant offer from 1 April 2009.
If applying for funding, you will be required to answer the following two questions:
- Will your project discriminate or present any barriers to equality?
- Will your project actively promote equalities and/or diversity?
It is best practice if community groups and businesses either adhere to their own established equal opportunities statement, or use their funding application as a reason to create a new one, which can be adopted for this, and for all initiatives in the future. For all grant requests over £5,000, a satisfactory equal opportunities statement must be provided. The staff at Northumberland National Park Authority can help you to write your equal opportunities statement. For more information on equalities, please visit the Government's Equalities website.
