BNY Mellon Manchester Proud to host LGBT Youth Conference

As part of its support of Manchester Pride 2011 BNY Mellon Manchester has hosted the yearly Albert Kennedy Trust Youth Conference at their offices at No.1 Piccadilly Gardens.

The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) is a voluntary organisation created in Greater Manchester in 1989 to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) young people who are homeless or are living in a hostile environment.

The conference aims to provide 16 – 19 year olds with diversity training as well as celebrating their stories of overcoming prejudice.

Five employees from BNY Mellon Manchester volunteered to help organise the conference, deliver administrative assistance and be on hand during the day itself.

As well as hearing key note speeches from former NBA player John Amaechi, singer Claire Mooney and Egghead CJ De Mooi, the attendees participated in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition to develop a new marketing campaign for AKT.

Thanks to AKT patron, Anthony Cotton, the group also visited the Coronation Street set at Granada Studios. Anthony later joined the group back at the BNY Mellon offices for an impromptu meet and greet session.

Volunteers from BNY Mellon also gave up their time to help the AKT during Manchester Pride 2011 (19 – 29 August).

BNY Mellon’s involvement in Manchester Pride and the AKT conference is part of its commitment to encourage diversity and inclusion.

A dedicated council within BNY Mellon Manchester works to create an inclusive workplace by creating a clear sense of accountability and awareness for diversity as well as providing direction and support to employee affinity networks.

Prism, one of these networks which fostered the relationship with AKT, strives to promote an open and supportive environment for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees and their allies.

Supporting the AKT conference underpins the company’s wider Community Partnership strategy through which each employee has the opportunity to take part in two days of paid volunteering. BNY Mellon in Manchester aims to complete 4000 volunteering hours with local organisations by the end of the year, with nearly 1300 hours already delivered. The focus is to support “powering potential” charities – organisations that provide beneficiaries with the skills they need to make a difference to their own lives.

Ben Hollister, Chief Administration Officer for Manchester, said: “Creating a workplace which is both inclusive and diverse is high on our agenda and Prism’s work has been essential to ensuring this.

“We have been supporting AKT for three years now and, by doing so, we are helping young people understand how to cope with and escape prejudice.

“By hosting the conference we believe we can make a tangible difference not only to AKT, but also to the attendees’ lives. We are proud of our long-term relationship with the charity.”