The Charity Retail Association has published a plan to help dismantle racism in charity retail.

Its new action plan aims to help address inequalities within the sector and to ensure BAME voices are 'truly heard and valued'.

The plan includes a review of all the internal policies and procedures to ensure it improves diversity and inclusion and will include a review of the current recruitment process.

Equality training for all staff and board members is a high priority in the plan, as is obtaining consultancy support, the retail body said.

The plan also addresses the balance of the makeup of the board to ensure that it is representative of wider society.

The association has further pledged to undertake a yearly research report to explore how the sector is made up in terms of demographics, including ethnicity.

"We acknowledge that, sadly, racism exists in all areas of society, and charity retail is no exception," CRA chief executive, Robin Osterley said.

"We believe we have a moral duty to help tackle racism in all its forms, and to give our members appropriate guidance, training and encouragement to excise racism from their activities.

"We recognise that there is a problem of race inequality in society and our sector, and this impacts on our staff, our volunteers and the communities we are here to serve."

The association said it will publish guidance to its members to support diversity and inclusion across the whole sector.

It will also confirm that any consultants or agencies that it works with have adopted similar equality practices.

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