Highlights
- Everywhen’s Menopause & Menstruation Support Group won the Network of Networks award for promoting inclusivity across all employee life stages.
- Centrica’s + Network, Virgin Media O2, and other organisations were recognised for pioneering initiatives supporting gender, ethnicity, LGBTQIA, family, and well-being inclusion.
- Leadership awards celebrated individuals driving cultural change, including Luke Martin, Rosie Whitfield, Jacquline Alcindor, and Tiernan Brady
Championing inclusion
The Employee Network Awards 2025, hosted by MP Dawn Butler and sponsored by Haleon, celebrated the nation’s leading diversity and inclusion initiatives on Wednesday (1) at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The ceremony recognised networks and leaders championing meaningful change in their organisations.
Everywhen’s Menopause & Menstruation Support Group won the Network of Networks award, the evening’s highest honour, recognised for creating inclusive workplaces that support employees at every stage of their working lives.
Other major winners demonstrated the breadth of inclusion work across sectors. Centrica’s + Network won Best Network Initiative of the Year for its pioneering Transgender Inclusion Policy. Nina Goswami from Clifford Chance received the Network Inspirational Role Model of the Year award for championing cultural change across law.
The University of Wolverhampton’s Disabled Staff Network won Outstanding Ability Network of the Year, while EDF (UK)’s Young Professionals Network received Outstanding Employee Network of the Year.
Sky UK’s Parents & Carers@Sky won Outstanding Family Network of the Year and Entain’s BeYou@Entain took the Outstanding LGBTQIA Network title. Virgin Media O2’s Enrich Network won Outstanding Ethnicity Network of the Year, Heathrow Airport’s Altitude Network received Outstanding Women’s Network of the Year, and HSBC Innovation Banking UK’s Well-being Employee Resource Group was named Outstanding New Network.
Simon Blake, George Bleasdale, Jacquie Lawrence, Jude Guaitamacchi, Linda Riley (Founder), Dawn Butler MP, Jennifer Stoute, Sarah Campbell, Kara Smith, Chizzy Akudolu
Empowering leaders
Leadership recognition also featured prominently. Luke Martin and Rosie Whitfield from Virgin Media O2 won Outstanding Network Lead of the Year. Jacquline Alcindor from L&G received Outstanding Executive Sponsor of the Year, while Tiernan Brady from Clifford Chance won Head of Diversity of the Year.
Linda Riley, founder of the Employee Network Awards, said: “It’s inspiring to see so many networks and individuals pushing for real change. Their creativity, dedication, and leadership show that supporting employees makes workplaces stronger, fairer, and more innovative.”
The awards recognise how employee resource groups strengthen workplace cultures by bringing together diverse voices and perspectives across age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, and other characteristics.
Speaking at the event, Claire Dickson, Chief Digital & Technology Officer and executive sponsor of Haleon’s Pride ERG, emphasised the importance of these networks. “Employee networks can really shine by providing safe spaces for constructive dialogue, challenging the status quo, and driving new initiatives to effect change,” she said.
By creating inclusive environments, organisations report stronger business performance better customer relationships making workplace inclusion essential for success.
