Race

6. Race

Last Updated: August 2020

According to the Equality Act 2010, race discrimination is when someone is treated differently due to the colour of their skin, their nationality, ethnicity or natural origins under the characteristic of race. This can occur due to a one-off action, or can be caused by a rule or policy. Discrimination does not have to be intentional to be unlawful, however in some cases being treated differently due to race is lawful – further information on these lawful exceptions can be found on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.

It is unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their race. The Equality Act 2010 also states that it is unlawful to ‘discriminate by association’ this is where someone discriminates against someone who is associated with someone from a racial group. ‘Discrimination by perception’ is when someone discriminates against someone due to thinking they belong to a certain racial group, which is also unlawful.

There are different forms of race discrimination including direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.

At SVC, we are committed to promoting and developing equality, diversity and inclusion in our actions, projects, and practices.

1. Our Equal Opportunities 2020 policy outlines that race discrimination is unlawful. Please read the policy for more information;
2. Anyone involved in SVC is encouraged to report any form of race discrimination to SVC staff, SVC Board of Trustees, or the HR department at Innovate Trust. Please read our Problem Solving Procedure 2020 for more information;
3. According to SVC’s Annual Report 2019-2020 our volunteers were:
   
   69.4% White British
   5.2% Any other White
   4.8% Indian
   4.8% African
   3.6% White and Asian
   2.8% Bangladeshi
   2% Pakistani
   2% Arab
   1.5% Chinese
   1% White and Black African
   0.8% Any other Asian
   0.8% White & Black Caribbean
   0.8% Any Other Black/African/Caribbean
   0.4% Any Other Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Background
   
   Accordingly, SVC commits to promoting volunteering opportunities widely in order to recruit a more representative demographic of volunteers;
4. SVC strives to represent a diverse range of volunteers and beneficiaries relating to race in promotional materials;
5. Please see SVC’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement and Commitments page for more commitments.

References:

Equality Human Rights Website (2020) Race Discrimination. Available at:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/race-discrimination#:~:text=The%20Equality%20Act%202010%20says,same%20as%20your%20current%20nationality.

Legislation Gov.UK Website (2013) Equality Act 2010 Race. Available at:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/9