As we mark Black History Month, we took the opportunity to celebrate the people behind FairREACH and reflect on what has been an incredible year for the committee.
What started as a conversation between two graduate engineers, has grown into a company-wide community that is helping to shape FairHeat & the wider industry’s culture, and help to inspire the next generation of engineers.
Conversation to community
FairREACH, FairHeat’s internal employee group for Race, Ethnicity and cultural heritage, was formed following a Black History Month Lunch & Learn in 2024. After the session, Ethan St Catherine and Sasha Green recognised an opportunity to create a dedicated space for ethnic minority employees within FairHeat, and encourage wider conversations about race, ethnicity and representation. They also wanted to review the processes in place for reporting racial incidents experienced by engineers, whether on site, in the office or elsewhere, and ensure their colleagues had access to a dedicated support network.
What followed was the creation of a community where members could share experiences, and help drive positive change across the business and wider industry. Alongside providing a safe and supportive space, FairREACH has helped shape the company policy and training around reporting racial incidents and supporting colleagues who experience discrimination.
Turning ideas into action
Over the past 12 months, FairREACH has focused on creating meaningful impact both inside and outside the business.
The committee set ambitious goals around training, outreach, mentoring and raising awareness of issues affecting ethnic minority communities. More than ten members have attended school visits and careers fairs this year alone, exceeding their original target and helping young people learn more about careers in engineering.
Internally, FairREACH has delivered training sessions on topics including microaggressions and cultural appropriation, helping to create opportunities for learning and open discussion across the company.
For Sasha, creating those conversations is one of the committee’s proudest achievements.
“We’ve had discussions on microaggressions and talks about cultural appropriation. […] often people don’t feel like there is the space to discuss those things.”
The impact of those conversations often extends far beyond the training room.
“One small action and one small training session can then ripple into a lot of different people’s lives and have a much larger effect.”
The power of representation
Representation matters. School visits, careers fairs and outreach activities are helping challenge traditional perceptions of engineering and broadening understanding of who can succeed within the profession.
Sasha explained why this work matters so much:
“You cannot undersell the importance of representation and seeing someone who looks the same as you in a career. Giving people that confidence that otherwise is often hard to come by but is incredibly important.”
For many young people, meeting somebody who looks like them and has built a successful engineering career can change how they see their own future.
As Ethan puts it:
“We can show young people that this is what engineers look like. We can look like you. It’s about breaking down those barriers and hopefully generating a pipeline of young engineers from all different backgrounds.”
Building confidence, belonging and pride
While FairREACH’s achievements can be measured through outreach programmes and training sessions, some of its most powerful impacts are less tangible.
The committee has helped create an environment where people feel confident sharing their experiences, celebrating their cultures and bringing their whole selves to work.
One standout event was the Nigerian cultural evening, to celebrate Nigerian Independence Day in October. Here, colleagues shared traditional food, music, dance, clothing and stories, creating an opportunity for the wider FairHeat team to learn more about Nigerian culture.
For Ethan, empowering people to embrace and share their identity is one of the committee’s greatest successes.
“People have been able to step up and feel empowered to speak up about their culture and ethnic identity. We’ve had countless Lunch & Learns and socials where people have really embraced their culture and shared that with others, with everyone coming away having learned something new.”
He continued:
“Giving people the confidence to be proud of where they’re from and who they represent and then take that beyond FairHeat through mentoring and school outreach, is something I’m really proud of.”
Beyond Fairheat
This year has also seen FairREACH begin delivering on one of its long-term ambitions: mentoring. Through a partnership with ‘With Insight Education’, members of the FairREACH community will support undergraduate students as mentors, helping them build confidence, develop employability skills and gain insight into future career opportunities.
The initiative builds on the committee’s wider mission of increasing representation within the engineering sector and ensuring that young people have access to the networks, guidance and encouragement they need to succeed.
Looking ahead
This Black History Month, FairREACH will continue creating opportunities for learning and discussion through a programme of events that includes an external speaker panel and a film screening followed by open discussion and reflection.
The committee’s ambition, however, reaches far beyond a single month.
As Ethan explained:
“Change is not going to happen overnight. It’s making small changes over time that mean we see a much more diverse workforce over the next few generations.”
That long-term thinking is what makes FairREACH so important. By creating conversations, celebrating cultures, improving awareness, supporting colleagues and inspiring future engineers, the committee is helping to build a more inclusive FairHeat today while contributing to a more diverse industry tomorrow.
Thank you, FairREACH
Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate achievements, recognise contributions and reflect on the work still to do.
We’d like to thank everyone involved in FairREACH for the energy and commitment they’ve shown over the past year. Through their efforts, they’ve created a community that supports colleagues, encourages meaningful conversations, champions representation and inspires future generations.
We’re incredibly proud of everything FairREACH has achieved so far, and excited to see what comes next.
