The Social Inclusion Group members are our subject matter experts in social inclusion issues. The team provide advice, guidance, consultation, and coaching to departments and business units across the University to ensure that social inclusion is embedded in all of Warwick’s work.
Find more information about the team below. For general queries please email .
Kulbir Shergill, Director of Social Inclusion
I am a board level cultural change and business transformation professional, driven by Inclusion and People oriented strategies. My skills lie in being able to use my cross-sector experience of working in large complex businesses, customer focussed public service entities to optimise the impact of strategies that I lead. Here at Warwick, I am leading the development and implementation of the Social Inclusion strategy, along with the Social Inclusion team, working in partnership with stakeholders across the university and with external partners to increase diversity of our community and develop an inclusive culture. My areas of focus include developing inclusive leadership skills and engagement, the development of the INspire programme, and working closely with colleagues to develop the Inclusive Education Model for inclusive student and staff experience.
As someone who is deeply interested in social justice, I endeavour to do my part through supporting activities which promote fairness and equity across society. As such, I feel immensely privileged to be working with colleagues and students – and the wider Warwick community – to enhance social inclusion at Warwick.
I’m passionate and caring by nature and my skills lie in my ability to listen and connect with others.
Alongside my substantive role at Warwick, I’m also a facilitator on the Tacking Racial Inequality at Warwick Staff Development Programme and a mentor for students on the Sprint programme (a personal and professional development programme for female students). Additionally, I established the Warwick Part-Time Staff Network.
I have a background in law, and I’m experienced in delivering projects across the University.
Within the team, I lead our Race Equality Charter work, work with colleagues in Human Resources and departments on inclusive recruitment . I also work with the Dean of Students Office to deliver Warwick’s annual Inclusion Conferences.
You can contact me using .
Andy Johnson, Social Inclusion Manager
I am a project manager with over 20 years’ experience in Widening Participation and Social Inclusion working to break down barriers within higher education. I believe that an individual’s background should have no profound impact on their ability to access, be part of, and succeed within university and have spent my career working to address this. My skills lie in pathfinding for new projects and approaches to inclusion, networking, collaborating widely, building strong professional relationships, and delivering high-quality engagement programmes with diverse audiences. Here at Warwick, my focus is to increase community diversity and build an inclusive culture, across all stages of the university lifecycle, by enhancing equality of opportunity and outcomes for everyone. I’m leading on a biennial staff-wide survey to assess the sense of belonging and culture here at Warwick, and working closely with colleagues to enhance gender equality, address challenges and remove barriers for staff and students.
I am one of the University’s Social Inclusion Officers.
I have been passionate about equality and social justice since childhood, and achieving these goals has been the focus of my career. I worked in communications, strategy, and project management roles in environmental, domestic abuse, homelessness, and equality charities before moving to social inclusion in higher education.
In my personal life, I start each morning reading to expand my equality knowledge (email me if you want recommendations!). In my work life, I am currently working on Disability Smart (including membership of Business Disability Forum’s Disability Data Monitoring Working Group), University of Sanctuary (supporting refugee and asylum seeker students), the Social Inclusion website, Forum for Leaders of Inclusive Cultures, and supporting with social inclusion data.
You can contact me using .
Claire Algar, Social Inclusion Officer
I regard myself as an accomplished individual who has the ability to independently manage and co-ordinate large scale projects, events, and champion cultural change. My strengths lie in having strong interpersonal skills, building trust-based relationships, engaging internal and external stakeholders to increase diversity, and create an environment where people feel a sense of belonging. My focus is the successful management of the partnership with the EY Foundation delivering employability programmes to young people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Engaging with internal stakeholders in CCSG, and external stakeholders to pilot a project to provide second chances and build confidence in the recruitment of ex-offenders, and working closely with colleagues to progress cultural competence to address the barriers and challenges for LGBTQIUA+ staff and students.
I worked in state secondary schools for 12 years before being awarded a Teacher Fellowship by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2008. I came to Warwick University and worked in the Chemistry Department for 10 years where I delivered a successful schools' outreach programme. I moved to the Social Inclusion Group in 2018 and continue to deliver science outreach work with many schools all over the region but I am now based in a primary school. This year, with a lot of help, I hope to coordinate a scientific thinking challenge to inspire and encourage Year 10 students from schools all over the country.
Lorraine Martin, PA to Director of Social Inclusion and Team Administrator
I’m an experienced personal assistant with a strong administration background. I enjoy working and communicating with people from a wide range of backgrounds and at all levels, who deem me to be a very trustworthy and reliable team player. I joined Warwick university in November 2021. While working as PA to the Director of Social Inclusion, Kulbir Shergill, I also support the Social Inclusion team with a wide range of projects. I am the secretary for all the inclusion taskforces and SAT groups. Being part of these taskforce groups has given me a great opportunity to really understand the fantastic work we do here within social inclusion, I’m also secretary for the Social Inclusion Committee, again this is offers me a wealth of information on all the wonderful work being accomplished. Health and wellbeing have also been a big part of my career with being a champion for many years including a mental health first aider.
You can contact me using or .
Social Inclusion Committee
The Social Inclusion Committeeis responsible for advising and making recommendations to the Senate and Council governing bodies on all matters relating to the Social Inclusion strategy and the promotion and monitoring of equality, diversity, and inclusion issues throughout the University.
Taskforces
The Social Inclusion Committee receives regular reports from our taskforces to track progress and developments:
