Independent East, an informal alliance of five community-focused housing associations in the East of England – Broadland Housing, Freebridge Community Housing, Havebury Housing Partnership, Saffron Housing Trust and Orwell Housing Association, has just launched the #Flourish campaign designed to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in their workplaces and communities so that everyone can be themselves, where they can grow and flourish.

The campaign concept is based around the idea that just as every plant needs a different environment, treatment, and conditions to thrive, so do we as individuals.

Over the coming months, the five housing associations will work collaboratively to raise awareness about the importance of inclusion through surveys, training and events, as well as each organisation committing to scrutinise their internal processes to see how they could be improved.

Anita Jones, chief executive at Freebridge Community Housing, said, “Freebridge is a community based, values led organisation and it’s enormously important to us that we do everything we can to create an open and inclusive company that promotes equality of opportunity while at the same time valuing the differences we have as customers and colleagues.

“The Flourish campaign will see us working together with our Independent East partners over the next few years to help us achieve this, and we look forward to seeing the positive effects of the work involved all across the East of England."