ARC celebrates Black History Month

Pictured, from left to right: Doreen McNeil from the HMRC diversity team, CEO of Operation Black Vote Simon Woolley, REACH national role model and Ernst and Young advisory manager Aleck Matambo and FDA equalities champion Sarah Guerra during a speakers' question and answer session

The Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), the section of the FDA that represents HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff, held a Black History Month conference on Tuesday 27 October. The all-day event, held at the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine in Limehouse, East London, provided an opportunity for ARC Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) members to meet and learn about current BME diversity and equality activity, specifically within HMRC and more generally. The day also gave ARC BME members the chance to share their views with their department and their union.

Speakers included Doreen McNeil from the HMRC diversity team, REACH national role model and Ernst and Young advisory manager Aleck Matambo, CEO of Operation Black Vote Simon Woolley and Sadiq Khan MP. There was also a chance to hear from SCS member Cindy Bell and representatives from the FDA's BME Network.

FDA equalities champion Sarah Guerra, who chaired the event, said: "The ARC Black History Month conference has demonstrated the level of frustration experienced by BME HMRC members. This conference is a very positive and innovative thing for ARC to do and feedback has shown it to be a worthwhile event."