BABS is committed to a long-term goal of being an inclusive, diverse and equitable organisation. We want to reach a wider and more diverse audience and membership, and make sure that everyone feels welcome and has a strong sense of belonging within our community.
What's DEI&B
Diversity work strives at having a wide array of groups represented within our organisation. Equity aims at ensuring that every member gets the specific support they need. Working on inclusion means to create a space that does not discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone. Belonging is the overarching goal of DEI work: we want everybody to feel like they belong.
To learn more about DEI&B, take a look at our FAQs page.
What kind of work does the BABS DEI&B team do?
The BABS DEI&B team responds to enquiries from clubs and individual members around questions of appropriateness of repertoire, recommendations for training, or advice in difficult situations.
The team creates policies, both for BABS as an organisation and for clubs in particular, and helps the Board with amending and updating existing policies to ensure that they are written with inclusivity in mind. All policies can be found in the Members' Area of this website.
The team also coordinates the clubs’ DEI&B representatives, offers them training, and organises forums where they can exchange about their experiences.
The team has many training documents, informational leaflets, and specific guidelines in the works, which we are very excited to share with you in the future.
BABS’ DEI&B team also works together with LABBS and Sweet Adelines Region 31 under the banner Diversity in Harmony to further values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice within the British barbershop community.
You can contact our DEI&B director at [email protected] and you can learn more about BABS DEI&B team here.
What does DEI&B mean for your club?
Having a stronger focus on DEI&B within your club should help both with recruitment and retention of members.
Having a more diverse and inclusive recruitment policy and presenting your club as a welcoming space may widen the pool and number of singers you are able to recruit. Moreover, when barriers of access are removed and when individuals are able to be their authentic selves, feel valued, and feel like they truly belong, they are more likely to stay within your club for longer and to keep contributing their time, voices, and skills.
To help you reach those goals, BABS is asking all clubs to appoint at DEI&B representative. You will find a job description for this role here [LINK]. This role can be moulded to fit your club's needs and is a great step towards creating a diverse and inclusive space.
DEI&B representatives will receive training and support from BABS' DEI&B team and will have the opportunity to exchange with representatives from other clubs.