Sytner Group attends Leicester Pride supporting local LGBTQ+ communities

Last weekend (Saturday 4th September), Sytner Group attended Leicester Pride as one of the main partners, to reflect the business’ ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Our colleagues marched in the vibrant parade through the city centre, with over 30 representatives from across Sytner Group. On the day, Leicester Pride asked Sytner Group representatives to hold the iconic pride balloons, with Sytner Group family members honouring this duty in the parade.​​

We also had a stall at the event, giving out free goody bags to all those attending pride including valuables such as sanitiser and water. On top of this, our team were asking for donations for merchandise to raise money for local Leicester charity, Trade Sexual Health.

Trade Sexual Health provides free and confidential health advice, information, services and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Dr Dina North, CEO at Trade Sexual Health, said: “Pride is such an important event for Leicester, offering diversity and inclusion that extends to every single person. Having the largest automotive retailer: Sytner Group present and fundraise at the pride is incredibly important for awareness and integration of the community. A big thank you from all of us!

“Also Trade would like to take this opportunity to welcome Jodie Williams, Head of Diversity and Inclusion to the team – it is an important role and we hope to work with you further soon”

Simon Harrison, Sytner Group colleague on the Leicester Pride Committee, said: “This year’s Leicester Pride was a huge success and it was fantastic to have Sytner Group on board as one of the main partners this year.

“It’s great that the business is willing to support Leicester Pride and the local communities, not just today but ongoing through its commitment to diversity and inclusion which is constantly growing.”

The support for the local pride event comes as we announced our new Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Jodie Williams, who will be working in the newly formed role to continue to develop and implement the diversity and inclusion strategy.

We are changing the way that the motor industry thinks, being the only retail group to have a Head of Diversity and Inclusion and we are hoping to transform the sector and its possible perceptions.

Jodie Williams, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Sytner Group, said: “Attending Leicester Pride was a really important step for us as a company to showcase our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“We have a lot more work to do in continuing to create an inclusive environment and a more equitable workforce.

“I’m keen to make sure that we’re representative at every level in our business and that Sytner Group is a workplace where people can thrive, where difference is celebrated and people feel supported and valued.”

In previous roles, Jodie has developed diversity and inclusion strategies in national organisations including National Express and ITV.

Jodie has also been recognised for her hard work, amongst her accolades are being shortlisted in the Head of Diversity category at the European Diversity Awards 2019 and named Top in the 100 Northern Power Women Future List.

We spoke to a few Sytner Group colleagues on the day, check out what they had to say about the event and our progress in diversity and inclusion below.

Sophie Alexander, Head of Customer Data & Analytics at Sytner Group, said: “I’ve brought my two children along to Leicester Pride and they’ve got two mums so it’s great for me to show them that you can be accepted no matter who you are. Whether you’ve got two mums, two dads, a mum and a dad, it’s just one big happy family of acceptance really, I think it’s great for them to see that.”

Ben Scholes, Senior Brand Manager at Sytner Group, said: “It means an awful lot to be at Leicester Pride, it makes me incredibly proud of the company that I work for. Being a member of the LGBTQ community myself, I think it’s really important that there’s visibility of companies like ours, not just for our colleagues, but for the wider communities. It’s also just a great day, it’s a lot of fun.”

Penny Wallace, Recruitment Specialist at Sytner Group, said: “I think it’s a really important first step for us as a company to show our commitment to diversity and inclusion. It has really been a fun day out here and Leicester is the heart of our business, it’s where our head office is, we’ve got a number of dealerships across Leicester so we wanted to make sure we were here today.”

Shorna Corbin, Pitch Operative at CarShop, said: “Pride is all to me so I can show the public who I am and show my solidarity to the LGBTQ+ group and I am proud to be a representative of Sytner as a proud trans female in Leicester Pride.”

Ben McGuire, Corporate Hub Administrator at Sytner Group, said: “It means a lot that Sytner Group are here today, it means a lot to me because in a very male dominated industry it’s showing that we’re actually moving forward with times. Sytner are showing that it’s not just males anymore it’s for everybody."