51Âþ»­

Businesses heard powerful stories on the importance of diversity and inclusion when the Circle Club held a regional networking meeting at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­).

51Âþ»­ alumnus Raj Singh-Dehal, who is the chief corporate officer at Center Parcs and Katie Neeves of Cool2BTrans shared insights and led discussions with regional business leaders on how they could make their workforces more diverse.



Mr Singh-Dehal, who studied law when 51Âþ»­ was Leicester Polytechnic, said: “I want the very best employees working for me, there’s a war for talent out there. If they are the best person for the job, I want them on my team.

“I don’t want an echo chamber. Hiring people from every background gives you huge insight in ever changing world you need. There’s a massive brand risk to not getting diversity and inclusion right.”



Katie, who is a transgender ambassador, is a member of the Circle Club and runs awareness training for corporates and organisations, as well as being a media spokeswoman on trans issues.

She told the story of her own journey from being press photographer Martin Neeves to becoming Katie and how it has changed her life, and how she now devotes her time to supporting trans people and their families.

Students were also invited along, to practice networking, make new contacts and join the discussion, held in the Hugh Aston Building. The Circle Club was invited by Andrew Nicholson, Associate Professor Enterprise.

International Relations student Jemima Duodu said: “The circle club event with the keynote speaker was fantastic. Not only was it a great opportunity for me to network and make new connections, I gained a new perspective on the discussion of diversity and inclusion.  

“I've always firmly believed that diversity and inclusion is integral for not only businesses but education also and I'm glad 51Âþ»­ hosted an event which echoed the importance of this. I hope more insightful and practical discussions such as this happen in the future to help create a more truly inclusive society in Leicester.”

was started by business coach Alex Slack and is a private members’ business club. It brings together elite business owners through networking opportunities and is passionate about giving back to the community.