Looking back and reflecting on what we've achieved, the projects we've delivered, the events we've held, and most importantly, the impact that we've had over the course of the last year as an organisation, and as a collective.
At We Create Space, it's our mission to equip our communities with new tools and practices for Queer Leadership, Allyship and Wellbeing. As a non-profit community-led social-enterprise, profits made from the work we do with corporations go back into the LGBTQ+ community; providing free events, well-being solutions, resources and support to the wider global queer community.
At the start of this year we set out our Community Action Plan, based on feedback from our global community, about what they wanted to see from We Create Space in 2023. Today we wanted to revisit how we’ve achieved those goals. So much of the work we do is 'behind-the-scenes', so our team have put together this review highlighting just some of what we have all accomplished as a collective in 2023.
"The We Create Space team understand that every team has different needs, and manages to work with us to adapt while still bringing clear expertise and empathy to the topics. Every event hosted with WCS has generated great conversations and pushed us to think harder about the way we as individuals support one another." - Laura Larcombe, Performance Coaching and Development Manager at American Express.
1. We organised more FREE in-person panels, workshops and events for the Queer Community..
This year we've expanded our in-person programming, bringing We Create Space to venues in London, Barcelona, Manchester and Berlin for a total of 21 in-person community events with 2500+ registrations. From insightful panel discussions on queer careers, art and activism to performance nights and speed networking, we've created meaningful opportunities for the international Queer Community to learn, be inspired and forge new connections. As always, we have continued to create spaces where corporate leaders can come together with community activists, promoting mutual knowledge exchange and collaboration.
If you would like to see what events we have coming up, check out our events page. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest information.
“This session has made me think we need to constantly check in on our progress on this topic. We should have it at the forefront of our team culture." - Participant feedback from our 'Mindful communication and inclusive language' session with Garnier.
2. We hosted ten FREE Online Learning and Leadership Development Opportunities for our Global Community.
Our online programming of Webinars and Panel Discussions have continued to be an important space for bringing together our global LGBTQIA+ Community and our clients.
Queer Leaders and Allies from across the globe tuned in for our FREE online Webinars and Panel Discussions this year. We launched two new webinar series, DEI 101 and Queer Allyship 101, as well as expanding upon our existing Queer Leadership 101 and Queer Perspectives series!
We explored a range of impactful topics:
You can find recordings of each of these sessions and more on our Youtube.
“Really wonderful session. I think I had a very limited definition of what bodily autonomy meant before this webinar, and the conversation really helped me reframe my understanding of bodily autonomy and how autonomy can be impacted even in non-sexual or non-physical interactions.” - Participant feedback from 'Queer Perspectives: Bodily Autonomy'.
3. We developed our internal team and global speaker collective.
2023 has been a rollercoaster year for our team, as we have adapted to the evolving needs of the business and built out internal processes so we can work more efficiently, providing better support to each other and our wider collective.
This year we have onboarded over 50 new speakers, further diversifying the range of experiences and identities represented under the We Create Space Global Collective and allowing us to bring even more fresh and nuanced perspectives into our work with clients.
"Really loved the information sharing and positivity of the presenters. As someone who is very new to the ERG world, it was a great way to become more familiar with all the potential of these groups." - Participant feedback from 'Strategic Budgeting as an ERG Leader'.
4. We supported the Queer Leadership journeys of our community members with FREE educational content.
This year we created 66 new articles, providing education on everything from active allyship and sustainable ERG budgeting to holistic perspectives on self-care, queer identity and intersectionality. We've worked with an amazing selection of talent from within our collective as well as working passionately in house to deliver insightful articles that speak to our community's actual needs.
We launched the Queer Allyship Lexicon, a glossary of over 365 terms relating to queerness, activism, DEI, wellbeing and identity. This educational resource is completely free to use and combines insights from across the We Create Space team to ensure a balanced and intersectional perspective.
We also launched our Pride & Beyond podcast, bringing you thirteen episodes of insightful conversation between members of the WCS Collective on impactful topics like Intergenerational Wisdom, LGBTQ+ Anti-Racism, Bodily Autonomy and Psychological Safety. You can listen to the Pride & Beyond podcast on all major streaming services or on our website.
Here is some of our most popular content from 2023:
What's in a name? An exploration of Transparenting by Jack Lopez.
Inclusive Leadership: The Key to Organisational Success by Geff Parsons.
Click here to explore our full content library.
"We didn't want to half commit to Pride, we really wanted to meaningfully establish ourselves in this space and through the work with We Create Space that gave us a lot more confidence to do that." - Maddy Lewis, Senior Advocacy Brand Manager at Garnier.
5. We expanded our global corporate partner networks and consultancy services.
At WCS we are passionate about provoking change in the corporate world so LGBTQ+ people can bring them full selves to work, enjoying fulfilling careers unencumbered by prejudice or discrimination. We do this by providing a range of services including:
All delivered through our bespoke Event Packages and Annual Memberships.
This year we've had the pleasure of delivering a range of exciting projects for our clients, such as consulting on Garnier's UK Pride Campaign, developing culturally competent pronoun resource guides in a range of languages and aiding JTI in expanding their PRIDE employee resource group internationally. We are also happy to report that we have a 93% overall satisfaction rating from our clients!
You can find some case-studies and the clients we work with here.
We Create Space has been an invaluable resource to Omnicom Group and our OPEN Pride ERG. The organization has provided thoughtful and powerful insight to programming across our global network. We have utilized this partnership to add exciting voices to our panels, enlighten audiences with important conversations, and help shape the way we build our relationship with the LGBTQ+ community and its allies at Omnicom. - David Azulay, EVP, Client Lead and Omnicom OPEN Pride LGBTQ+ ERG Global Co-Chair.
6. We invested back into the community through creating paid work opportunities for our collective.
One of the most fulfilling parts of our work as a non-profit organisation is that we are able to provide members of our LGBTQ+ Community and Queer Leadership Collective paid work opportunities. This, in turn, enables them to continue the work they do in the community - driving change and inspiring others to feel empowered in their own identities. We are proud to say that we have been able to invest £430,000 back into our fabulous community in 2023!
We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has worked with us this year, whether you're a client, team member or part of our wider community. We couldn't do what we do without your continued support and passion! 2023 has been a transformative year for We Create Space and we are so excited to continue this journey with you all into 2024.
Have a restful festive period, and we will see you again in 2024!
While you're here...
Did you know we consult with Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here.
We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!