UWE Bristol has been named as the number one university for commitment to supporting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) staff.
The university appears at 11 place in this year’s Top 100 Workplace Equality Index, produced by Stonewall, the organisation working for equality and justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. UWE climbed 24 places to from 35th position in 2014. 
The Top 100 list is based on the results of Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2015, the 11th published by the charity. The index is based on a range of key indicators which include a confidential questionnaire of lesbian, gay and bisexual staff, with over 9,700 participants. This consistently revealed that employees from organisations ranked in Stonewall’s Top 100 exhibited higher levels of staff satisfaction and loyalty.
Pro Vice-Chancellor and UWE Bristol Diversity Champion, Professor Ron Ritchie said: “We are delighted to have made year-on-year progress in the prestigious Stonewall Workplace index and to now find ourselves so high up and the top university in the list.
“We were aware of the greater challenge of this year’s submission due to a revised set of criteria established by Stonewall, so are especially pleased. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and know it helps make the University a creative, dynamic, inclusive and innovative institution.
“Supporting the LGBT agenda in a variety of ways is important to us. A lot of the credit must go to those at UWE Bristol that work hard to make it such a welcoming and inclusive place through initiatives like staff and student networks.”
UWE Bristol first submitted an entry to Stonewall in 2010. Great progress has been made in the past five years: the University was placed at 192 in the 2010 index rising to 77th place in 2012, improving by a further 30 places in 2013 and rising to 35th in 2014.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust was named top employer in the survey. Bristol City Council was joint 98th.
