What Positive About Inclusion does

Positive About Inclusion is a UK-registered Community Interest Company (social enterprise) headquartered in Gateshead, North East England, founded in 2020 by Lucy Malarkey and Karen Faulkner. The firm delivers bespoke Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training, coaching and consultancy to public, private and charitable sector organisations. Its service portfolio spans face-to-face training, organisational culture diagnostics, inclusion strategy advisory, and a recently introduced e-learning product line. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is human-delivered professional services.

The go-to-market is direct B2B sales into HR, learning and development, and diversity functions, supplemented by partnerships with sector bodies such as Tpas (housing tenant engagement) and the North East Automotive Alliance. Named clients disclosed in public-facing materials span automotive (Nissan Sunderland), housing (Housing 21), gaming (LeoVegas) and technology (Quark), alongside charity and public sector engagements. As a CIC, surpluses are reinvested into the mission rather than distributed, which constrains access to growth equity but supports social-value weighting in public sector procurement.

Revenue mechanics follow a professional services model: project-based training-day fees, bespoke consultancy retainers, and the emerging e-learning product. The firm has signalled expansion into international markets (UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Africa), and is building community infrastructure through Inclusion Forum North East. Founder capacity was materially reallocated in 2025 when Lucy Malarkey stepped down from WISH to focus full-time on Positive About Inclusion, indicating intent to scale.

Name

Positive About Inclusion

Legal name

Positive About Inclusion CIC

Website

https://positiveaboutinclusion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Positive About Inclusion is a UK-based Community Interest Company founded in 2020 that delivers bespoke Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training, coaching and consultancy to public, private and charitable sector organisations across multiple geographies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Cultural Competence & Inclusion (EDABAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights, Social Inclusion & Disability Inclusion (BPAGABAN), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

Keywords

• EDI consultancy services
• Diversity training programmes
• Inclusion training workshops
• Social housing EDI
• Board facilitation services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bespoke EDI Training Services: Customized equality, diversity and inclusion training sessions tailored to each client's unique requirements. Training is designed using the organization's language, values, and corporate architecture, delivered to audiences ranging from Board members and executives to front-line staff. Services include workshops on sexual orientation and gender identity, inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, and other EDI topics.
2. EDI Consultancy Projects: Deep-dive consultancy engagements including EDI health checks, recruitment practice reviews, equality impact assessments, culture diagnostics, and anonymous colleague surveys. Findings and recommendations delivered through reports or presentations that 'hold up a mirror' to organizational culture.
3. Bespoke E-Learning Development: Cost-effective e-learning packages designed and delivered to extend the company's training offer. These maintain the engaging and approachable tone used in online and face-to-face training delivery, providing a productivity-maximizing alternative for clients.
4. Board Away Day Facilitation: Specialized facilitation services for Boards and groups of Trustees, typically from smaller charities. Services include strategic alignment workshops, open dialogue sessions, and focus on critical strategic issues. Charitable clients including Belfast & Lisburn Women's Aid and Age UK Sunderland have become repeat customers for these services.
5. Pro Bono and Added Value Services: As a social enterprise, the company reinvests surplus to deliver pro bono training, consultancy, and networking opportunities. This includes mentoring activities through organizations like The Girls' Network and The 1 Hour Project, and free training sessions for organizations that would otherwise not be able to access these services.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Positive About Inclusion is a Community Interest Company (social enterprise) that designs and delivers bespoke Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training, consultancy, and Board Away Day facilitation for organisations across the social housing, charitable, public and private sectors. Services include tailored training workshops, EDI health checks, culture diagnostics, recruitment practice reviews, Equality Impact Assessments, e-learning packages and the Inclusion Forum North East networking platform, all customised to each client's language, values and corporate architecture.

Product overview

Positive About Inclusion is a social enterprise providing bespoke EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) consultancy and training services to organisations across public, private, and charitable sectors. Their core offering consists of customised training workshops, consultancy projects including EDI health checks and culture diagnostics, and Board Away Days facilitation. They operate the Inclusion Forum North East as a networking platform for EDI professionals and have recently expanded into bespoke e-learning packages. All services are tailored to each organisation's unique requirements, values, and context.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bespoke EDI Training and Consultancy Fully customised Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training and consultancy programmes designed for organisations that need EDI content aligned to their specific language, values and corporate architecture. Delivered to public, private and charitable sector clients.
• Board Away Day Facilitation Independent facilitation of Board Away Days for organisations seeking impartial guidance on EDI, culture and people-development priorities. Aimed at boards and senior leadership teams across housing, charity, public and private sectors.
• EDI Health Checks and Culture Diagnostics Diagnostic engagements that assess an organisation's current EDI maturity, culture and inclusion practices, providing a baseline for subsequent training or policy work.
• E-learning Packages Digital e-learning packages that extend the reach of the firm's EDI training beyond in-person workshops, enabling ongoing staff development across client organisations.
• Inclusion Forum North East A regional networking and learning platform hosting regular events for EDI practitioners and HR/people professionals in the North East of England, with free places offered to charities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,400 attendees trained in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Recite MeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Web accessibility software and solutions experts. Sponsored the 11th Inclusion Forum North East event held at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead.
• WestworksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnered with Westworks to deliver a webinar exploring the role of EDI in the procurement process, bringing together both buyers and suppliers to consider how EDI can be meaningfully embedded.
• Shine Foundation (North East Combined Authority)coreOthers · 1 January 2026Awarded Shine Foundation status by the North East Combined Authority for commitment to responsible business. Shine is the region's employer accreditation scheme recognizing responsible business practices.
• Genee Consulting LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025B Corp certified environmental sustainability consultancy. Collaboration on thought leadership about embedding social equity into sustainability strategies for North East businesses. Joint research project exploring the link between inclusion, sustainability and wellbeing with Fred Wellbeing.
• Venture ZerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Values-based organization supporting employee wellbeing. Collaborated on a free webinar exploring the benefits of responsible business, partnering with Genee Consulting and Positive About Inclusion.
• North East Automotive AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Commissioned to undertake Stage 3 of the IPAM-ST (Inclusivity Pilot in Advanced Manufacturing, South Tyneside) project. Directors engage with local manufacturers to identify solutions to barriers between South Tyneside residents and advanced manufacturing jobs.
• Bradley O'MahoneyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local PR, branding, marketing and video production partner. Worked on the IPAM-ST project for North East Automotive Alliance. Asked Lucy and Karen to appear on their Dynamic Duos video podcast series.
• North East BIC / Gateshead CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Selected to participate in a Social Enterprise Incubator Programme facilitated by the North East BIC on behalf of Gateshead Council in 2022. The programme provided networking opportunities with fellow social enterprises across Gateshead and demonstrated the diverse range of activity in the social enterprise sector.
• Social Enterprise UKcoreOthersProud member of Social Enterprise UK, the national membership and campaign body for the social enterprise movement. The company is certified as a 'Business for Good' and displays the SEUK Certified badge on their website. This membership provides credibility within the social enterprise ecosystem.
• Tpas (Tenant Participation Advisory Service)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership delivering EDI training both online to mixed groups of residents and colleagues, and bespoke in-house training for housing organizations. A new course 'EDI for Involved Customers' is being delivered throughout 2025 in partnership with Tpas to equip participants with skills to embed inclusion in tenant engagement.
• Aster FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected as one of 12 organizations to join the inc. Programme for social entrepreneurs taking place during 2024. The programme supports organizations to measure and share their social impact more widely and recognizes businesses that can 'change the world and support communities to combat the causes and effects of poverty.'
• Constructing Excellence North East (CENE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLucy Malarkey invited to join the People Group which brings together industry professionals passionate about creating inclusive and sustainable construction sector. The group leads on regional initiatives including the annual All In conference. Lucy also chaired a panel at the All In Conference 2026.
• Castle Peak Group LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive search consultancy driven by diversity. Worked on strategic projects including recruitment diagnostic for Housing 21. Cited Positive About Inclusion as a 'trusted partner' in their 'Progress Under Pressure' research report on diversity in social housing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inclusive Employers: Membership organisation and consultancy supporting employers on EDI strategy, training, and benchmarking. Closely mirrors Positive About Inclusion's combination of bespoke advisory and a member community.
• The Clear Company: UK-based EDI consultancy offering bespoke training, diagnostics, and inclusion strategy to organisations across sectors. Directly comparable in service mix (health checks, training, culture diagnostics) and target market to Positive About Inclusion.
• EW Group: Specialist EDI consultancy offering training, strategy, and advisory services to corporate and public sector clients. Comparable in bespoke EDI delivery and cross-sector footprint.
• enei (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Network): UK membership network focused on workplace EDI, providing training, conferences, and resources to employers. Comparable in membership-community model and EDI training delivery.

Emerging players

• The Diversity Trust: Community-focused EDI organisation providing training, consultancy, and advocacy. Comparable in mission-driven, social-purpose positioning and bespoke training model.
• Purple Space: Disability-focused network and consultancy providing training and resources to employers. Overlaps with Positive About Inclusion's inclusion training practice, particularly on reasonable adjustments and disability inclusion.

Broad incumbents

• Accenture UK (DEI consulting): Global consultancy with significant DEI advisory capability serving multinational corporates - directly comparable client segment (e.g., Nissan, LeoVegas) to Positive About Inclusion's enterprise accounts.
• Business in the Community (BITC): Long-established UK Prince's Trust charity supporting businesses on responsible business, including EDI, wellbeing, and inclusion. Competes in the EDI advisory space but as part of a broader CSR portfolio with much larger scale.
• Deloitte UK (DEI practice): Major professional services firm offering enterprise-scale DEI consulting, training, and diagnostics. Competes for large corporate EDI mandates where Positive About Inclusion also plays.
• KPMG UK (People & Change / DEI): Big Four advisory firm offering DEI strategy, training, and inclusion diagnostics to large enterprises. Relevant incumbent competitor for the firm's corporate and public sector engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/posinclusion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/positiveaboutinclusion
• Facebookfacebook.com/positiveaboutinclusion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Positive About Inclusion