Introducing the Kent ED&I Forum: A space for connection, learning & change

We’re launching the Kent ED&I Forum and want you to join us on at the first meeting to discuss what you would like to achieve from it.

Introducing the Kent ED&I Forum: A space for connection, learning & change

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Kent ED&I Forum, a new initiative from the CIPD Branch in Kent designed to support local HR and people professionals who are passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I).

In our work across the people profession, we’re often the ones others turn to for guidance on inclusive practices, difficult conversations, and creating environments where everyone can thrive. But who supports us? Who do we turn to when we need fresh ideas, reassurance, or a sounding board? That’s where the Kent ED&I Forum comes in.

This space is for everyone, whether you’re leading on ED&I for your organisation, building inclusive practices from scratch, or simply keen to understand more. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be curious, open to learning, and committed to making a difference.

The forum will:

• Create a safe, supportive environment where you can ask questions, share challenges, and celebrate wins
• Offer practical tools, case studies, and insights to help you embed ED&I meaningfully into your work
• Connect you with like-minded professionals across Kent who are on the same journey
• Spotlight local voices and lived experiences to ground our learning in a real-world context

Our sessions will be shaped by you - your needs, your interests, and the topics that matter most in your organisations and communities. Expect a mix of learning, discussion, and collaboration with a healthy dose of inspiration and encouragement.

To make sure the ED&I Forum reflects what you want and need, we’ve created a survey as we’d love to hear your thoughts Help Shape The Kent ED&I Forum Survey. This short survey (10 questions) will help us shape the agenda, choose topics that matter most, and create a space that feels safe, inclusive and genuinely useful. Whether you’re new to ED&I or leading the charge in your organisation, your voice matters. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your ideas, we can’t wait to build this together!

About the speaker

Kelly Watson is passionate about EDI and is looking forward to leading the EDI Forum in Kent. She brings much experience in this field, including 7 years of managing Engagement & Inclusion at the second largest recruitment and HR outsourcing company in the world, designing, implementing and managing a 5 year ED&I strategy for the UK & Ireland, founding and managing several Employee Resource Groups and reviewed and created ED&I policies and training. Kelly is also highly experienced in neurodiversity issues.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again one day before the event, with a further reminder, 20 minutes prior to the event starting.
2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.
3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.
4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite as not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. Please note that refunds for CIPD Non-Member tickets will only be available until seven days prior to the event, any cancelled tickets after this will not receive a refund.
7. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.