Equality and diversity commitments

At Horsham District Council we are committed to the principles of equality and diversity, and to supporting ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, people of all faiths and people of all abilities.

As a public sector organisation it is our duty to:

Work to eliminate unlawful discrimination
Promote equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
Promote good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

What is a protected characteristic?

We all have protected characteristics, and the Equality Act 2010 protects people against discrimination based on any of them. The nine protected characteristics are:

Age
Race
Disability
Sex
Gender reassignment
Sexual orientation
Religion or belief (or lack of religion or belief)
Pregnancy and maternity
Marital status

As a public sector organisation we must consider how our decisions and policies affect people with different protected characteristics, and show evidence of our work. This is called the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Read our latest Equality Annual Report

Support and resources

The links below include organisations, charities and think tanks that are dedicated to equality and diversity and offer online resources.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the best place to find advice and guidance on legislation.

The Equality Advisory Service is a helpline and advice service that assists people on issues relating to equality and human rights.

Stop Hate UK works to challenge all forms of hate crime and discrimination.

The Race Equality Foundation promotes race equality in public services through a number of projects.

The Runnymede Trust is a race equality thinktank that creates important resources and reports on race equality through research and network building.

The Fawcett Society is a national charity that produces reports and runs campaign for gender equality and women’s rights.

Rosa is a national charity fund set up to support women and girls. It can offer advice and support and has a Justice and Equality fund.

The Muslim Council of Britain is an independent body that works with over 500 affiliated organisations, mosques, charities and schools.

The Jewish Leadership Council works with the major British Jewish organisations to work for the British Jewish community.

Friends, Families and Travellers is a national charity that works on behalf of gypsy, traveller and Roma communities. Find out more about the Council's Gypsy and Traveller site allocations.

Scope is a national disability equality charity that provides advice and support as well as engagement programmes and national campaigns.

Independent Lives is a Worthing-based charity that works with disabled people, people with support needs and carers to help people manage their own care and support.

Stonewall is a national charity that supports the LGBT community.

Switchboard is a Brighton-based charity that offers support and information to the LGBTQ community. It runs a Rainbow Café for LGBTQ people with dementia or who are concerned about memory loss.

The Gender Identity Clinic is the UK’s oldest gender clinic and accepts referrals from across the UK. Its website offers information and support as well as appointments.

The Gender Identity Development Service is a specialised clinic commissioned by NHS England for young people presenting with difficulties with their gender identity.