Diversity veteran joins St John Ambulance as head of equity and inclusion

St John Ambulance has hired a diversity expert with 25 year’s worth of experience promoting equality to be its head of equity and inclusion.

Kal Parkash takes up the role after holding diversity roles across the NHS, police, local authorities and the Ministry of Defence.

She joins from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, where she has been head of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Her work at West Mercia and Warwickshire police forces in 2018 was recognised in the Excellence in Diversity and Race for Opportunity award schemes after recording a tenfold increase in the number of recruits from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“I am really looking forward to meeting the wonderful St John volunteers and staff to strengthen the work already underway to improve equality diversity and inclusion at the charity,” said Parkash.

“At work, we need compassionate and inclusive leaders, creating an environment of fairness, respect and individuality.

“We all have a responsibility to understand our unconscious biases and prejudices and recognise how these can have an impact on others and therefore, educate ourselves change our behaviours.”

“My firm belief is that every one of us has a critical role to play in embedding equity and inclusion as allies, standing shoulder to shoulder with our most marginalised and vulnerable communities. 

“It is important that we all feel safe to be our authentic self at all times, to enable us to thrive.” 