You have chosen to deny this site access to your location - please change your preference in your browser if you wish to use this function.
We want every colleague to know they are a valued and important part of our community. We're a workplace where you're rewarded, recognised, supported and celebrated.
Neil shares his story and the advice he’d give to his younger self. As our Director of People Services, Neil describes himself as a quieter voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
“I grew up in Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales, within a beautiful national park. I had a great childhood, with beaches on our doorstep, woods to explore and a loving family. But when I was 12, I started to get bullied. I went from a small rural primary school to a much larger secondary school with over 1,000 kids, and I must’ve seemed a bit different. They used to call me gay. At that time, I didn’t even understand what it meant, and I don’t think they did, either. But those early experiences shaped me.
It created an inner anxiety in me, but it also gave me those elements of vulnerability, emotional intelligence and empathy that have played a key role in my career.
I’ve always been out at work but perhaps with less confidence than today. I thought being gay would hold me back. But in my first job someone said they'd never met a gay person before. They weren’t judging or being discriminatory, they were just super curious. That helped me realise that being gay was not a barrier and it helped me to be me.
At Nationwide, I’ve never had anything but positivity and support. Asking open questions in a human and personable way like I’ve experienced may help others to feel and be more like themselves in the workplace. That’s Allyship in action.
I’d tell my youngerself to be more curious about gay culture. To learn more about the movements and the struggles that people have endured. The rights I take for granted. For example, being allowed to marry my husband, this right was fought for over many years through great hardship, pain and inequality”.
Alongside our inclusive policies and processes, you can find support or make your mark as a member or ally of our highly active and award winning employee networks and support groups.
Learn more about our Proud Network and other networks here.
