October 6, 2025

Then, Now, Next: 30 years of action and impact  

Q: What does the ‘Then, Now, Next’ report cover?

Then, Now, Next: 30 Years of Action and Impact highlights the campaign’s journey over three decades, showcasing milestones, research, insights, and initiatives that have transformed workplaces, communities, and supply chains and actions we must take now.

Highlights 30 years of progress driving race equality in workplaces, with insights, impact, and actions for a fairer future.

‘Then, Now, Next’ report: 30 years of action and impact

For 30 years, Business in the Community’s Race Equality Campaign has been driving fairness, inclusion, and opportunity across UK workplaces. From pioneering research and data-driven insights to mentoring initiatives, youth engagement, and supply chain inclusion, the campaign has consistently led the way in transforming workplaces and communities. 

This landmark report – Then, Now, Next – traces three decades of progress, showcases the impact of business leadership, and highlights the next steps needed to embed race equality across employment, enterprise, and local communities. Explore the evidence, insights, and stories that demonstrate how businesses can lead with fairness, accountability, and inclusion.

To mark this 30th Anniversary milestone, the latest data highlights the opportunity in 2025 to tackle racial disparities in the labour market – with the potential to boost the UK economy by £37bn (1.44% GDP, or £712 million per week). 

Download the report

Celebrating 30 years of impact

Then

Founding Years: 1995- 2004

Established in 1995 as Race for Opportunity, BITC’s Race Equality Campaign began with senior business leaders and HRH The Prince of Wales, now His Majesty the King. Its mission: to promote inclusion and fairness across workplaces and communities in the UK.  

Focused on recruitment, retention, progression, marketing, community engagement, and supply chain diversity  
Launched data-driven, place-based interventions in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol  
First chairs: Bob Ayling CBE (British Airways), Lord Charles Allen CBE (Granada TV), Allan Leighton (Royal Mail)

We built strong local networks and anchored the campaign on four pillars: recruitment, retention, marketing, and supply chain inclusion. While progress has been made, the journey continues.  – Lord Charles Allen, Chair 1997-2000

Then

Pioneering Campaigns (2005 – 2014)

The pioneering campaigns of 2005-2014 saw UK’s first National Race Equality Awards (2007-2016), celebrating best practice in race inclusion, over 4,000 participants supported in Cross-Organisational Mentoring Circles (2009-2011), young people co-designing solutions to youth unemployment in the Youth Advisory Panel (2012), and many The King’s Seeing is Believing visits, impacting Department for Work and Pensions policy and shaping mentoring initiatives. Other highlights include:

The Launch of the Race at Work research series  
The launch and expansion of the Race at Work Charter 
Publishing of the Diverse and Inclusive Supply Chain Report

We ensured young people’s voices were central to decisions affecting their futures, inspiring programmes that still transform lives today. – Carmen Watson, Chair of Pertemps Network Group and BITC Race Leadership Team Member

Our initiatives didn’t just change lives—they reshaped government approaches to youth employment.”   – Adrian Joseph OBE, Chair 2011–2016

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Evidence and Insight (2015-2025)

Race at Work Surveys (2015, 2018, 2021, 2025) – Over 50,000 employee responses revealing persistent workplace disparities  
Race at Work Charter (2018) – 1,100 signatories representing 6 million employees, embedding inclusion in corporate strategy  
Black Voices & Race at the Top Reports (2020) – Shining light on underrepresentation in senior roles  
Diverse & Inclusive Supply Chains – Encouraging businesses to embed social value and fair payment practices

Longitudinal data empowers employers to dismantle barriers and foster fairness in every workplace decision.     – Professor Nelarine Cornelius, Queen Mary University

I’m keen to continue this work with fresh analysis of the Race at Work 2025 survey data, exploring new insights that can support meaningful change in policy and practice.    – Professor Ian Thomson, University of Dundee

Charter Reset and the Path Ahead

The reset marks the 30th anniversary of BITC’s Race Campaign and is informed by insights from the Race at Work 2025 YouGov Survey. It builds on over a decade of data and progress introducing a new commitment to support NEET young people (18–24) from ethnically diverse and lower socio-economic backgrounds. It also resets commitment one of the Race at Work Charter and key resources, strengthening the Charter as a framework for real action and helping organisations progress from allyship to solidarity and create clear pathways into good work and enterprise and mbed fair and inclusive procurement practices. As we move forward in the path ahead, we are focused on:

People & Employees – Recruitment, retention, development, and progression, including young people from ethnically diverse and marginalised backgrounds.   This includes our Talent Unlocked programme, where we work in partnership with the Youth Future’s Foundation to support young people’s pathways into good work .
Communities & Places – Local engagement, volunteering, and strategic partnerships to build inclusive, resilient communities.  
Suppliers & Supply Chains – Empowering diverse founders, embedding social value, and ensuring fair, timely payment.   This includes improving Diverse and Inclusive Supply Chain practice through The Inclusive Procurement Maturity Model (IPMM).

Race at Work Charter reset commitments

Support young people’s pathways into good work and enterprise  
Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress  
Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying  
Managers ensure fair access to opportunities and development  
Support career progression for ethnically diverse employees  
Progress employees from allyship to solidarity  
Include diverse-led businesses in supply chains

Explore and sign the Race at Work Charter

Business in the Community Prince’s Seeing is Believing visit to Manchester

The Then, Now, Next Report

Download the full report today to discover:  

The evolution of BITC’s Race Equality Campaign over 30 years  
Key milestones, research, and transformative initiatives  
Practical guidance for leaders, employers, and policymakers to drive meaningful change

Download the full report

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How can my organisation get involved in the BITC Race Equality campaign?  

Businesses can take action by signing the Race at Work Charter, implementing inclusive recruitment and progression practices, supporting diverse suppliers, and engaging in local community initiatives.  

What does the ‘Then, Now, Next’ report cover?  

Then, Now, Next: 30 Years of Action and Impact highlights the campaign’s journey over three decades, showcasing milestones, research, insights, and initiatives that have transformed workplaces, communities, and supply chains and actions we must take now.

What is the Race at Work Charter reset and why was it introduced?

The reset marks the 30th anniversary of BITC’s Race Campaign and is informed by insights from the Race at Work 2025 YouGov Survey. It builds on over a decade of data and progress introducing a new commitment to support NEET young people (18–24) from ethnically diverse and lower socio-economic backgrounds. The reset includes an update to commitment one of the Race at Work Charter and key resources, strengthening the Charter as a framework for real action and helping organisations move from allyship to solidarity and create clear pathways into good work and enterprise.

Who should read the ‘Then, Now, Next’ report?

The report is a valuable resource for business leaders, HR professionals, policymakers, and anyone committed to advancing race equality, fairness, and inclusive growth in the workplace.