Aggregate Industries has extended its list of colleague-led network groups as part of the company’s long-standing equality, diversity & inclusion strategy, with the addition of a new age equality group.

Sitting alongside the company’s leadership and strategy, the Affinity Network plays a vital role in creating an inclusive culture and environment, providing a platform for colleagues to highlight challenges, drive change and come together in pursuit of progress.

The new Age Equality Affinity Group will enable the team to better support the needs of colleagues and customers throughout every stage of their career, bringing together company representatives of all generations. It sits alongside other Affinity Groups giving a voice to LGBTQ+, female, BAME colleagues and those with disabilities.

James Roberts, HR Director at Aggregates Industries, said: “The Affinity Network is the heartbeat of our ED&I strategy, bringing together employees with similar backgrounds or interests, and each group is already having a powerful influence in the workplace. In the last year alone, our Affinity Groups have seen us sign up to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme, in support of those with unseen disabilities. We have also committed to the Construction News’ Inspiring Women in Construction pledge, designed to help firms promote gender equality and make the sector more welcoming for women, and we ran a successful Wear it with Pride business-wide campaign for Pride Month. Now we’re looking forward to introducing similar initiatives to support colleagues and customers of all ages, too.”

Natalie Davies, Age Equality Affinity Network Lead at Aggregate Industries, said: “Listening to the group during our kick off meeting, their experiences and why they chose to join the Age Affinity Group, it became clear that we needed to support colleagues at the beginning, middle and end of their careers. Ensuring age never becomes a barrier. Some people have experienced discrimination when they first started their careers, others want guidance to retirement. Everybody's experiences are different, and we need to be mindful and supportive of that.”