I Can Represent

Black women are still underrepresented - not visible in so many sectors and in key positions that can influence and make the changes that are necessary to create a more equitable playing field.

ICR, is a platform showcasing some of those women. In their own words you hear about their journey, understand their motivation/ inspiration and how they have overcome any obstacles.

It is a demonstration of what is possible, you can see it, you can be it.

In this episode, you have Sandra Gordon in conversation with Sandra Meadows MBE a former Chief Executive Officer based in Bristol, Sandra is a Director for the Centre for Mentoring and Coaching, with considerable experience as an advocate, senior manager and non-Executive Director.

Sandra works to achieve positive transformation and improvement within individuals and organisations, encouraging creativity and new ways of thinking. With a strong interest in diverse and inclusive leadership development, her approach is empathic and gently challenging - bringing the individual into focus to identify and transcend barriers to progression. Sandra is a confident, lively and engaging coach and mentor with experience of working with people from all backgrounds.

Sandra has worked within (and across) the private, public and voluntary/charitable sectors, including Trustee roles for a range of local and national organisations including: The City of Bristol College, Skills Active National Council, NAVCA (Chair), The Bristol Beacon (Vice Chair), BrisDoc, St. Paul’s Carnival and several local statutory Boards and partnership groups. Sandra has also served on the Bristol Mayoral Commission on Race Equality and the Commission for Women and works with the current city administration as a City Partner.

In 2019, Sandra was listed amongst the West Women of the Year and in 2022 voted as one of the Most Influential Women in Bristol. She was also honoured with an MBE for Services to the Community of Bristol from HRH King Charles in 2021. A member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), she completed the master’s Level course in Coaching and Mentoring at the University of West of England in 2015.

The breadth of her experience includes human resources (covering recruitment, employee relations, training and development) within a global FMCG company, business and organisational development, people and performance improvement, contract management, collaboration and partnership development.

Sandra's client businesses include Statutory Authorities, national and local Charities (inc. Universities as exempt charities) SME's and voluntary sector agencies, working with C-Suite Executives, Trustee Boards, Managers and individual staff members.

Radio Broadcaster and podcaster Sandra Green interviews the founder of I Can Represent podcast Sandra Gordon.

Biography

Sandra’s working career started as an admin assistant, and she worked her way up to running her own Call Centres across 3 sites for some trusted brands. She utilised the opportunity of a career break to undertake voluntary work in Africa, job coaching the homeless, and to become an accredited Life Coach. The trip to Africa also reignited her creative side and led her to starting her own creative business where she worked collectively with Artisans in Africa, which helped to supports their sustainability.

Sandra’s social involvement includes a few projects and enterprise that focus on supporting the underrepresented in the city to have the same opportunities to move forward in their lives.

A chance meeting in the green room of a TV comedy, gave birth to the idea of Rise a social enterprise, which was established after a discussion the lack of visibility of black businesses on the high street. The organisation specialised in providing opportunities for those businesses to promote what they do to a wider audience through organised events, exhibitions and on a weekly local community radio program. Rise also delivered workshops for Black women around personal development and starting their own business. They delivered the annual Rise Awards in the city which recognises and celebrates achievements in Business, Community and entrepreneurship.

As well as a presenter and Broadcaster for community radio led me to become Strategic lead partner for the Black and Green Ambassadors program – putting Black voices into Green environmental spaces, where traditionally we have been absent.

The work for Women’s equality was supported through my work with Bristol Women’s voice, which is a powerful voice for making women’s equality in Bristol a reality, and as a member of the Mayoral Women’s Commission and Business task group. I am currently a Director for the Bristol Women in Business Charter, where we believe that businesses cannot reach their full potential if they fail to recruit and retain a gender-balanced workforce. Our purpose is to recognise and support businesses in and around Bristol that are making progress towards gender equality. Our ambition is to help accelerate the pace of change for the benefit of women, the businesses they work in and the communities they live in.

I became a Commissioner and Co-Chair for the Mayoral Commission on Race Equality to help work on collective solutions to tackling the race inequalities faced by so many in the city. I am also passionate about inclusion and representation and was honoured to be appointed as a Magistrate and as a governor for City of Bristol College.
At the heart of everything Sandra does is about giving everyone a chance to be the best they can be and to bring balance and equality to those groups who are disadvantaged in our society.

www.SLGcoachingandconsultancy.com

This week’s episode will focus on Black women working in the Legal sector.

I am very excited to introduce my guest today, Marti Burgess a Partner with Knights

Since 1999, Marti have practised as a lawyer. She is a partner at Knights, a national law firm with over 23 offices throughout the UK. She is an experienced corporate lawyer.

In 1994 before Marti became a lawyer along with her brother, they secured VC finance to acquire a 1200 capacity nightclub. She was one of the key strategists in turning ‘Lakota’ into an internationally renowned music venue specialising in underground music.

Lakota is now an established fixture in Bristol’s cultural landscape. She has very limited involvement in the day to day running although helps set strategy and work with the promotions and marketing team to ensure Lakota remains current whilst retaining its underground ethos. The family business also owns a few properties in and around Stokes Croft.
Marti is the chair the Black Southwest Network which is a black-led racial justice charity which supports the development of dynamic, independent, and strong black and minoritised communities, businesses and organisations to flourish whilst challenging system barriers.

She is also a trustee and vice-chair for the Bristol Legacy Foundation. And also sit on the board of Bristol Music Trust (operates the Bristol Beacon) and 91 Ways a social enterprise that brings the different communities of Bristol together using food as a medium.

This week’s episode will focus on Black women working in the Education sector, with Aisha Thomas.

To build a more inclusive education system, the teaching workforce must be representative of the communities they seek to serve– and yet people of colour are considerably underrepresented in the teaching workforce, especially among school leaders.

Aisha's career began in law but took a transformative turn towards education, where she quickly became an influential Assistant Principal at a secondary school in East Central Bristol. Now leading Representation Matters Ltd, she focuses on anti-racist practice, equity, and justice in education. As a university guest lecturer and the author of 'Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator' (2022), Aisha is at the forefront of shaping future educators.

Her doctoral research explores anti-racist practices in educational leadership, furthering her commitment to systemic change. Aisha's impact extends beyond academia; she's a recognised voice in media, highlighted by her BBC documentary on the scarcity of black teachers in Bristol and her TEDx talk on the importance of representation.

Aisha's dedication to social justice is acknowledged through numerous awards: the Positive Role Model at the Bristol Diversity Awards (2020), Special Recognition from Bristol Black History Month magazine (2021), Baton Awards Campaigner of the Year (2021), Rise Awards Entrepreneur of the Year (2022), and an MBE (2022). In 2023, she was honoured as Inspiration Mum of the Year, showcasing her role as a pivotal figure in both her family and the broader community.