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Gold Card membership
Gold Card membership provides organisations with a unique opportunity to core fund the work of the Forum and to work closely with us to achieve our vision. The support of Gold Card members, of which there are around 40, is vital in sustaining our reputation as an organisation which inspires and challenges employers, while helping business forge productive relationships with opinion formers, government and the wider community.
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Benefits of Gold Card membership
A tailored relationship: Each Gold Card member has access to a dedicated relationship manager who can help with using Forum services and expertise to promote change both within your organisation and as part of a wider corporate responsibility programme.
The Disability Standard: This unique management tool, which was originally developed and piloted by the Gold Card group, is free to all Gold Card members.
Gold Card Networking Receptions: These two receptions a year provide an opportunity to network with disabled people, senior business people and government. Previous speakers include David Blunkett MP, Alan Johnson MP and Andrew Smith MP.
Gold Card Groups: Specialists from our Gold Card members meet regularly as part of the Customer Advisory Group and the Government Relations Group to discuss legal and best practice developments. Other groups are brought together in response to member demand.
Consultations: Gold Card members play a crucial role in helping the Forum to help government to develop practical policies and initiatives, which work for the mutual benefit of business and disabled people. The Forum regularly consults with Gold Card members on new and proposed government policy such as the Draft Disability Bill and the new public sector duty to promote disability equality.
Reputation and profile: All Gold Card members receive profile in all Forum publications and communications. Founding Gold Card members have seen their name associated with the groundbreaking work of the Forum on over 3.5 million occasions. Gold Card members are lead partners and sponsors for our innovative projects and initiatives.
What our Gold Card members say about us
“InterContinental Hotels Group values its Gold Card membership of the Employers' Forum on Disability. The Disability Benchmark Survey, sound advice and wise counsel contributed towards our disability confidence strategy. The benefits of the focused training programme 'Confidence to Serve All' are already apparent and also greatly appreciated by our guests. We look forward to a long and fruitful working relationship.”
John Bamsey, Chief operating officer, UK & Ireland Division, InterContinental Hotels Group
“The Forum plays a vital role in business, by making it easier to employ and provide service to people with a disability. At Sainsbury's, we take every opportunity to strengthen our business, by making working and shopping easier every day for our customers and colleagues with a disability.”
Hamish Elvidge, Change director, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd
“Through our involvement in the project-led recruitment initiative our business has been able to recruit from an untapped pool of talented, skilled and committed people. Centrica not only has a more diverse workforce that better reflects its customers, it has also acquired skills in managing diversity.”
Judy Greevy, Head of corporate responsibility and diversity, Centrica
How we work with Gold Card members
Just some of the ways members have used their Gold Card membership:
Research and development
The Forum relies on the input of Gold Card members to research and develop innovative management solutions. Gold Card members came together to help design, pilot and refine the Disability Standard. The R&D Group comprised: Abbey, BT, BUPA, Barclays, Cable & Wireless, Centrica, HSBC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Royal Mail, UnumProvident, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and Skills, Jobcentre Plus, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Promoting best practice
Gold Card vision and support is critical to enabling us to research and publish our award winning best practice guidance. ‘Open for business’, which sets the standard for accessible premises and was made possible by the London Development Agency, Lloyds TSB and Total UK.
Barclays launched a Spanish version of the Forum's ‘Unlocking potential’ book, which presents the definitive business and ethical case for becoming disability confident. The launch took place at the Madrid Embassy and was attended by the then minister for disabled people Maria Eagle, business leaders from the UK and Spain, disabled people and EU representatives.
Working with government
Cisco Systems hosted a breakfast for Alan Johnson MP to meet with senior players from our Gold Card group following the publication of the Government's Life Chances report. Participants discussed how Forum members can share learning and work with the Government to improve employment opportunities for disabled people.
For Centrica, Gold Card membership was an important element to their successful approach to Government for funding to enable them to evaluate our Project Led Recruitment Scheme in Manchester. As a result, the Forum is now able to offer detailed guidance to companies seeking to learn from their experience and to systematically recruit significant numbers of people with disabilities.
How does my organisation become a Gold Card member?
Ian Hastie, our Head of Business Development, welcomes the opportunity to talk to potential members about the Forum. He is keen to visit interested organisations and talk through in more detail the way the Forum can help an organisation take positive steps in developing a best practice approach to employing people with disabilities.
To find out more about Gold Card membership of the Forum you can contact the Membership team on 020 7089 2430. Alternatively you can contact us via email, details of which are on our Contact page.
What is the cost?
Gold Card membership is £14,000 per year + VAT.