WiRL's shared values | Women In Retirement

WiRL shared values membership agreement

Women in Retirement Living Limited (WiRL) strives to empower women (and other underrepresented groups) working or with a desire to work in the retirement living sector. Our goal is to bridge the gaps in gender inequality, equity, diversity, and inclusion – fostering the best and most diverse talent to enable the growth of the sector.

WiRL is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2023 by a group of women working across the retirement living sector. Business is carried out by a board of directors and WiRL’s work is overseen by an advisory board of highly skilled and reputable professionals in various disciplines across the sector. WiRL is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company registration number 15372979.

1 Membership with WiRL

As a not-for-profit with a driving social purpose, we want to ensure that we have an alignment of values with the organisations that make up our membership body. We believe that this is key to developing constructive, meaningful, and mutually beneficial relationships that are of benefit both to you as our member, the rest of our membership community, and to the sector.

We are open and welcoming to all organisations that have an interest in being and/or becoming more diverse and inclusive – so we are very happy to have members who are just starting on this journey. We are open to all, so long as the intention is genuine. As our core values state, we don’t support bluewashing but instead work to promote genuine social change.

This provides confidence to other members that all other organisations involved with WiRL are trustworthy, ethical, and conduct their business with integrity. This is a significant part of creating safe spaces, which is very important to us.

If you do not feel that your organisation honours the shared values in this agreement, but you personally do, we are happy to accept an individual application of membership from any individual committed to these ideals, whatever organisation you work for. The board of directors make all membership decisions for WiRL and will conduct screening and due diligence before engaging in a commercial relationship with any organisation. These background checks will not appear on any organisation’s credit record.

In the event of any concerns arising about a potential member organisation, the board of directors would consult the advisory board before taking a final decision.

After joining, if evidence arises indicating that an organisation is not abiding by our declaration of shared values or is bringing WiRL or the retirement living sector into disrepute, we would discuss the raised issues with our member to try to reach a resolution. Our intention will be to maintain ongoing positive relationships and work together to surmount any problems. However, in the event of repeated or gross issues of non-compliance with the declaration or serious reputational issues being raised, the board of directors and advisory board reserves the right to review our relationship, up to and including revoking an organisation’s membership with WiRL. In such a circumstance, no membership fees will be refunded.

Please read carefully about WiRL’s mission, vision, and core values to determine if they align with your organisation’s values.

Please also read, consider, and if it feels in alignment, sign our declaration of shared values, at which point we will be happy to progress your membership application. Do please get in touch if you have any questions or want to talk any of this through.

2 Mission Statement

WiRL seeks to empower women (and other underrepresented groups) working within the UK retirement living sector, through networking, knowledge sharing, and mentoring.

We believe that growing and evolving the retirement living sector is fundamental to our society’s needs, and that maximising the contributions of a wide diversity of people is a key way to achieve this.

3 Vision

To cultivate such inclusiveness in the retirement living sector that it becomes a beacon for talent, growing the sector exponentially through its diversity.

4 Core values

We aim to promote diversity, gender equality, and social mobility across the wider retirement living sector. We look at what the sector can do better to support, retain, and recruit women, while taking an intersectional approach, being conscious of the variety of elements of identity that are less privileged by society (e.g., with regards to race, sexual identity and orientation, age, disability, religion/belief).

4.1 Inclusion – We celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of all people, with a particular focus on empowering women.

4.2 Generosity and co-operation – We believe there is room for all in the sector, that we can help each other and work together in collaboration.

4.3 Respect and empowerment – We support each other to share our unique insights, value each other’s contributions, and strive to learn from and honour different experiences.

4.4 Authenticity and openness – We don’t support bluewashing and will promote genuine change across the sector to show substantive impact.

These principles are fundamental to how we interact with all, including:

Each other within the organisation,
Our members,
Our allies, partners, and collaborators, and
Across the wider sector.

5 Declaration of shared values (Corporate / Corporate Premium Membership)

Please have someone read this who can vouch that the following are true for your organisation (or your department, if the organisation is such a size or international scope that you cannot be reasonably expected to speak for the entirety of the organisation):

1. We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion, and fundamental rights. We respect and promote these in our workplaces, in our dealings with consumers, and in our business relationships.

2. We are willing to have authentic and open conversations about ESG and EDI – even when it’s challenging. We are striving to learn more and value a diversity of experiences and insights, and will improve our business practices if we discover areas of injustice, discrimination, or systemic inequality.

3. We act with integrity and in a professional, reasonable, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner with consumers. We make additional efforts, as appropriate, to meet the needs of vulnerable customers. We do not place undue or improper pressure on consumers to purchase our products or services.

4. The information that we provide about our products and services is legal, decent, honest, and truthful. We take steps to ensure the information we provide is accurate, up to date, and contains nothing which could be reasonably perceived as confusing or misleading.

5. We operate in a reasonable, responsible, and respectful way with our workforce. We choose to be conscious of diversity, equity, and inclusion when making hiring, training, and promotion decisions. We are conscious about empowering our employees and modelling professional integrity.

6. We operate in a reasonable, responsible, and respectful way in relation to our partners, suppliers, and any other organisations with whom we work, working collaboratively wherever possible, and honouring our contracts, agreements, and payment terms.

7. We comply with all relevant legislation, holding all licences, registrations, and permissions required to enable us to carry out our activities lawfully in all jurisdictions in which we operate. We also comply with any judicial precedents relating to our activities.

8. None of our activities are inconsistent with WiRL’s mission, vision, or values nor could they reasonably be expected to bring WiRL or the wider retirement living sector into disrepute.

6 Declaration of shared values (Individual / Ally membership)

Please read this declaration:

1. I am personally committed to equality, diversity, inclusion, and fundamental rights. I respect and promote these in my workplace, in my dealings with consumers, and in my business relationships.

2. I am willing to have authentic and open conversations about ESG and EDI – even when it’s challenging. I strive to learn more and value a diversity of experiences and insights and will endeavour to improve the practices in my business if I discover areas of injustice, discrimination, or systemic inequality.

3. I act with integrity and in a professional, reasonable, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner with consumers. I make additional efforts, as appropriate, to meet the needs of vulnerable customers. I do not place undue or improper pressure on consumers to purchase products or services.

4. The information that I provide about products and services is legal, decent, honest, and truthful. I take steps to ensure the information I provide is accurate, up to date, and contains nothing which could be reasonably perceived as confusing or misleading.

5. I operate in a reasonable, responsible, and respectful way with my workforce. I choose to be conscious of diversity and inclusion when making hiring, training, and promotion decisions. I am conscious about empowering employees and modelling professional integrity. (Where applicable, for those who are not sole traders.)

6. I operate in a reasonable, responsible, and respectful way in relation to all partners, suppliers, and any other organisations with whom I work, working collaboratively wherever possible, and honouring our contracts, agreements, and payment terms.

7. I comply with all relevant legislation, holding all licences, registrations, and permissions required to enable me to carry out my activities lawfully in all jurisdictions in which I operate. I also comply with any judicial precedents relating to my activities.

8. None of my activities are inconsistent with WiRL’s mission, vision, or values nor could they reasonably be expected to bring WiRL or the wider retirement living sector into disrepute.