- What is the Race Equality Hub?
The Race Equality Hub was created following the Metro Mayor Rotheram’s Declaration of Intent, in 2021 and an investment of £2.3m for the Hub’s development. The aim of the Hub is to encourage and support organisations to prioritise race equality with the ambition of addressing the inequalities faced by the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities in the city region.
The Race Equality Hub will contribute to the economic advancement of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities within a Racial Justice context, becoming a One Stop Shop for co-ordinating Business Support Services, Employability Programmes, Leadership Development, and associated opportunities across the city region.
At the Race Equality Hub our aim is to educate and support employers, partners and stakeholders to become more inclusive and understand the reputational, business and economic benefits of greater racial equality. Our aim in driving this change forward, is to create inclusive organisations with a commitment to treat all employees fairly and offer equal opportunities for growth, development and advancement.
- Data
There is an ageing population within the law professions, and the 2021 census data identified that 26.7% of the next working generation will be from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities throughout the UK. Whilst representation among solicitors is fairly good at 19%, Barristers, however, are predominantly white male professionals and Ethnic Minority females have lower representation in senior positions. In LCR there is very little representation at partner or executive level.
White male barristers dominate the top positions in the judiciary (courts and tribunals). This needs to change for the UK justice system to be representative of the population it serves.
- Partnership Working
The Race Equality Hub is keen to support efforts to diversify the legal professions. In October 2024, a Journey to Law Event was hosted in the Combined Authority Chamber and aimed at young people interested in careers in Law. The panel was made up of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Magistrates, Solicitors and Barristers who talked about their journey into the profession and took questions from an enthusiastic audience of 16–18-year-old Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young people from across the city region.
Building upon our initial work with some key Law firms within the city region, we would like to work in partnership with the legal sector to increase Black, Asian Minority Ethnic representation through shadowing opportunities, work placements and apprenticeships.
We have developed the Race Equality Hub, Operational Network with the aim of supporting employers across the city region to increase equality, diversity and inclusion within the organisations whilst learning from best practice. The Network provides a safe space for open, honest conversations to challenge and reduce barriers to employment.
Law firms, barristers’ chambers and others are invited to join the Network
EDI leads within Liverpool Law Society members organisations are welcome to join the Network or alternatively if there is enough interest from Liverpool Law Society members, we can establish a Legal Sector Network. If you are interested in this opportunity, please feel free to contact our Strategic Employability Partnership Manager Justine Jenkins: Justine.Jenkins@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk