Our People

At East of England Co-op, we believe we are at our best when our colleagues reflect the communities we serve, feel they belong and are able to thrive.

Our Approach

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is not a standalone initiative or campaign. It is part of how we work every day, how we support our colleagues and how we serve our communities across the East of England.

Our focus is on creating a fair, respectful and inclusive Co-op where people feel valued, supported and able to be themselves.

Our Focus

We are proud of our values and deep community roots. We also know that creating a more inclusive workplace is an ongoing journey, one that requires listening, learning and continued action over time.

Three priorities shaping how we work

Our approach is centred around three priorities:

Building a team that reflects the communities we serve

Creating fair access to opportunities and improving representation across our co-op.

Creating environments where people feel valued and able to be themselves

Supporting a culture of dignity, respect, belonging and feeling safe, respected and able to speak up.

Using our role in the community to create positive and lasting impact

Working alongside colleagues, partners and local organisations to strengthen inclusion across the communities we serve.

What this looks like in practice

Fair and inclusive recruiting

We are committed to making opportunities accessible to all.

This includes:

accessible recruitment processes and workplace adjustments where needed
reviewing recruitment outcomes and reducing barriers where possible
bias-aware hiring approaches and inclusive recruitment practices
anonymous diversity questionnaires to help us understand where we can improve

If you require support or adjustments during recruitment, please contact: talent@eastofengland.coop

Browse our current vacancies

Listening and taking action

Inclusion is shaped by the everyday experiences of our colleagues.

We create opportunities for colleagues to share feedback, experiences and ideas through:

surveys and listening channels
colleague forums and networks
open conversations, learning sessions and colleague-led discussion
colleague-led insight and feedback

Our Women’s Network supports connection, development and colleague voice across East of England Co-op.

Our communities and partnerships

Rooted in our region

As a co-op, community is central to who we are.

We work alongside external organisations and local partners who help strengthen inclusion, accessibility and belonging across our co-op and communities.

National Frameworks:

Business Disability Forum
Armed Forces Covenant
Disability Confident Employer

We also work with community organisations and local partners across the region, including:

Colchester Kings RFC
Future Female Society
Be More Dandelion

These partnerships help create opportunities for conversation, visibility, support and meaningful local impact.

Our values in action

Our values shape how we approach inclusion every day.

Creating fair opportunities

through accessible

recruitment, transparency and

ongoing review of our

practices.

Listening to colleagues,

supporting networks and

building meaningful

partnerships within our

communities.

Using learning, insight and

continuous improvement to

keep moving forward.

Supporting development,

progression and access to

opportunities for all

colleagues.

Creating environments

where people feel valued,

supported and able to be

themselves.

Looking ahead

Always more to learn, always more to do

We know there is always more to learn and more to do.

Our ambition is to continue building a more inclusive co-op where colleagues feel respected, supported and able to thrive, measured not only through representation, but through colleague experience, belonging and fair outcomes across our co-op.