That quote is from a member of staff at Bowel Cancer UK, on why their employer became Pride365 Certified. Not a comms line. Not our words. An employee, describing the difference between a logo and a commitment.
People assume charities have inclusion covered. Bowel Cancer UK decided assuming wasn’t enough. So they put themselves through certification, and when they did, we asked their people the questions we ask everyone. Here is what they said, on the record.
“The fact the charity has gone out of its way to get the Pride365 certification shows a commitment to empowering our LGBTQIA+ colleagues and making sure it’s a positive and accepting place to work,” one colleague told us. “It’s different to a march because it’s an ongoing piece which takes a lot more commitment than being present at one event. Although those are great too.”
Their Head of People, Kate Sarama put the organisational case simply: “Inclusion should be a 365-day commitment, not a 30-day campaign. Pride Month is important, but meaningful change comes from embedding LGBTQ+ inclusion into everyday policies, practices and culture.”
We’re often asked what the process is like from the inside. Here’s the answer from the person who ran it:
“I found the Pride365 certification process both insightful and rewarding. It challenged us to reflect on what inclusion looks like in practice, not just in policy. The framework helped us validate our strengths, identify gaps, and develop a clearer roadmap for the future. The process was straightforward, well supported, and ultimately strengthened our overall people and culture strategy.”
That’s the design: challenging on substance, straightforward in practice. The bar is real. The barrier isn’t.
We ask every leader the same thing: what are you nervous about? The answers tell you more than any pledge. Here’s theirs:
“If I’m nervous about anything, it’s making sure we’re not treating inclusion as a tick-box exercise. The real measure of success is whether our LGBTQ+ colleagues feel safe, supported and able to bring their whole selves to work every day.”
A partner willing to answer that question honestly is exactly the kind we certify. And when we asked what their colleagues would say today if asked honestly, they didn’t reach for perfection:
“We’d never claim to be perfect. But I’d hope colleagues would say they can see genuine intent, real progress and a willingness to keep improving.”
That sentence is the whole philosophy of this certification. There are no perfect organisations. There are committed ones.
“One of the most encouraging things has been the pride people have felt in seeing the charity invest in something tangible,” their Head of People told us. “Colleagues have told us that pursuing certification shows we’re serious about inclusion and willing to hold ourselves accountable. It has sparked positive conversations, increased awareness and reinforced that creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong is a year-round priority.”
And from a member of the community inside the organisation: “It makes me feel comfortable as a member of the community, and reassures me there’s a good, inclusive culture here.”
The commitments, in their own words: embedding LGBTQ+ inclusion more consistently in how they recruit, develop, support and listen to their people. Reviewing policies. Building leadership capability. Strengthening allyship. External training for all employees.
And the benchmark they’ve set themselves for two years’ time: “The real test is whether LGBTQ+ colleagues tell us they feel safe, valued and able to be their authentic selves at work.”
That answer is now on the record. We’ll be back to check it, because that’s what 365 means: not a badge awarded once, but a commitment revisited every year.
Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. Their work already asks people to talk about the things that are hardest to say out loud. It makes a certain sense that they’d build a workplace where their own people never have to hide anything either.
Welcome to Pride365, Bowel Cancer UK. See you at year one.
You can read more about Bowel Cancer’s specific commitments here.