Black Lives Matter – Launch of SHIFT25

Posted June 29, 2020

Today ELBA marks the launch of SHIFT25 in partnership with a group of senior Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic professionals from ELBA and Red Lion Chambers. SHIFT25 is a campaign drawn from across business and commerce in London. The aim of SHIFT25 is to press for change. Our goal is to give every child and young person from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic backgrounds greater hope and belief that their future will be equal and fair. We invite all individual professionals – Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and ally, their employers and professional and business organisations to join us to use their power and influence to bring about lasting change. There is a window of opportunity – we must all use our assets and talents to seize the moment.

We start from the position that our collective efforts through many excellent initiatives from many amazing organisations, have not been enough. There are deep rooted structural obstacles and barriers that need to be removed. The business and professional community in London holds many of the keys to making the fundamental SHIFT that needs to happen.

The SHIFT Network has issued this statement today – but as we have said before, statements are not enough. By launching and adopting this statement ELBA is committing to long-term and sustainable action. We will build on our track record of promoting equality and social mobility in education, employment and the wider community. We will:

Position our network of business partners to ensure Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic school, college and university students get additional support to follow their chosen career, levelling up the social capital enjoyed by others.
Encourage and empower employers who like us are determined to look again at recruitment, retention and promotion practices to make sure they are truly open, inclusive and fair.
Bolster Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic led and focussed community organisations to become more resilient and sustainable so they can help communities take this moment of change.
Amplify and develop a growing group of today’s and tomorrow’s leaders from the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic communities in who will ensure that momentum is not lost and who will hold us to account.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Ian Parkes ian.parkes@elba-1.org.uk / 07768 993704 or Julie Hutchinson julie.hutchinson@elba-1.org.uk / 07960 454120, or contact SHIFT25@elba-1.org.uk.