Paul Neale FIAM is the founder of Not For Profit Business Services Ltd having previously started, and become Chief Executive of, a major association management division in a firm of Chartered Accountants for a significant number of years.
He is a past President of the Institute of Association Management (IofAM) and a Trustee and Treasurer of a charity dealing with crime prevention based in North London. He was on the main Committee and Treasurer of the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE) for over 10 years, a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), an individual member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and has been on the international task force of the AMC Institute (AMCI) based in North America.
He holds the position of Director or Company Secretary for a number of clients. He qualified as a Chartered Secretary but is no longer in membership.
This is his account of the founding of the IEDP:
'The need for a professional body was identified by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in their report entitled Equality and Diversity Practitioners Project, December 2007. Of the 500 practitioner respondents, almost 75% said that they need better infrastructure support. The research, funded by the EU, identified that practitioners need the means to develop necessary competencies and skills to deliver the evolving requirements to promote equality within and between all communities but the LSC had no plans to actually set up an organisation to deliver it.
I took this on board and as a practical response to the report’s recommendations and practitioners’ needs, the Institute was registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 14th May 2008. It was to provide the additional capacity building and support that these practitioners required and so the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners was launched in January 2009.'
I am pleased to say that I have been a Director and Company Secretary since the very beginning.
Our current Corporate Members are:
Vercida
Registered Members are those who have achieved Professional Registration.
Here is an alphabetical list of current registered members. Registered members who so wish have supplied further details about themselves and their work:
Elaine Bolton
James Caspell - please click here for more information
Zobia Kalim - please click here for more information
Debby Lewis - please click here for more information
Caren Ransom
Juliet Simmons
Michele Taylor - please click here for more information
Drew Wilkins - please click here for more information
Ruth Wilson - please click here for more information
Others who have previously achieved IEDP professional registration:
Linda Bellos
Teresa Berridge
Stuart Bray
Liesel Dickinson
Simon Hill
Kate Hinton
John Jackson
Mary Ann Nossent
Dipen Rajyaguru
Shearon Williams
Eelke Zoestbergen
Independent research by Focus Consultancy and the Learning and Skills Council, funded by the European Union, recommended the creation of a professional body for practitioners in the equality, diversity and human rights sector.
In May 2008, Paul Neale, Chief Executive of Kingston Smith Association Management took the initiative, inviting people who responded to the LSC’s consultation to help form the Institute. Over the next ten months, a steering group established the aims and objectives for the Institute, grew the membership to nearly 80 practitioners and planned the formal launch.
The Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners was launched in Birmingham on 26 January 2009. The launch established the UK's first professional body of equality, diversity and human rights practitioners.
The Institute was delighted to welcome over 70 delegates to the event. Our guest speakers were Jonathan Rees, Director General, Government Equalities Office and Nicola Brewer, Chief Executive, Equality and Human Rights Commission. The event was chaired by Linda Bellos OBE.
The Institute held its first formal elections for Board membership in May 2009. There were eighteen places on the Board. Nomination forms were sent by email to all members on 27 April, with a return deadline of 15 May 2009.
Eight valid nominations were received. These were all from members of the steering group that worked to establish the Institute. Since fewer than eighteen nominations were received, all nominees were eligible to be appointed to the Board without a contested election.
The appointment of the Board Members was ratified at the Inaugural General Meeting by the Institute’s members.
The Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners held its Inaugural General Meeting on 12 June 2009. The meeting was sponsored and hosted by Ernst & Young, global business consultants. It was open to all Associate Members of the Institute.
A ‘Question Time’ session on the Equality Bill 2009 was followed by a members' networking event. Our guest panellists were:
The Institute of Equality and Diversity Professionals is an independent body committed to setting high standards for equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights professionals. It is a member organisation working to support professionals and influence change.
To support and lead as the collective voice of the EDI profession, upholding standards and influencing change.
