Building inclusion from the inside out

Jo McMeechan, Founder and Director, SENStory Group Inclusion Consultant and Trainer, explains why intersectionality and allyship are essential tools for VCSE organisations

In the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, we come from a culture of care and change making. We talk a lot about equity, belonging and community support. But real inclusion, the kind that changes outcomes, begins with ourselves. It asks us to practise allyship in action, not just intention. It asks us to recognise that our perspective is never the whole picture, and that some identities face barriers we will never personally experience.

As an inclusion consultant, doing this work starts with acknowledging the privileges I hold. I am a white, cisgender, straight presenting woman. That gives me a level of safety that many people do not receive. It also means I cannot assume to understand the lived realities of someone who is Black, Brown, disabled or trans. Their experience is not mine to interpret. My responsibility is to listen, learn and remove barriers where I can.

Alongside this, I also carry my own experiences of queerness and neurodivergence. I know what it feels like to enter a space wondering whether that part of me will be safe, dismissed or misunderstood. And I know the relief of being able to show up fully, without shrinking or translating myself to fit.

When people can access services without fearing that their identity will be the barrier, they thrive. When organisations do not create that safety, people often do not complain or request adjustments. They simply do not come. Our reach shrinks. Our impact shrinks. Not because our work is not needed, but because it does not feel safe enough for the people who need it most.

This is why intersectionality and allyship are essential tools for VCSE organisations, not optional extras.

Why intersectionality matters and what happens when we do not act on it

Most people accessing VCSE services live at the intersection of multiple identities such as disability, race, class, queerness, neurodivergence, trauma, faith or gender identity. Their barriers overlap, and so must our approach.

When organisations do not represent diversity, communicate their values or design for intersectional needs, marginalised people quietly opt out. They assume the service is not built for them. And because they never enter the space, the organisation never learns what kept them away.

This is not just a missed opportunity. It limits impact, reach and community trust.

Which is exactly why the work begins inside our systems, not just at the point of service delivery.

When I work with consultancy clients, I use the SENStory Inclusion Framework to help teams integrate action and embed intersectional inclusion.

The first pillar is culture. Values shape everything. If inclusion is not embedded here, it will not embed anywhere.

Next, we build knowledge together. Not through dry, compliance heavy training, but through lived experience storytelling that sparks understanding and motivates real change. The kind that makes teams say, “I get it, and I know what to do next.”.

We then look at representation and messaging. Not performative posts on awareness days, but consistent, visible communication that signals safety. Inclusive language. Diverse imagery. Clear access information. If people cannot see themselves in your organisation, they will not believe they belong there.

Then we strengthen systems and processes. Onboarding, offboarding, safeguarding, volunteer support and information sharing all carry access implications. One of the first things I do is make inclusion visible in the basics: clear inclusion and accessibility statements, human language in policies, and consistent, easy to find information.

Finally, everything is grounded in ethical and legal compliance. Not as paperwork, but as protection for staff, volunteers and service users. It is what future proofs inclusive culture.

A gentle invitation

If your organisation is ready to strengthen its culture, confidence and community impact through intersectional inclusion, I invite you to reflect on how you show up in each area of the framework. Whether through training, audits, policy support or strategic consultancy, this is the work I support organisations to embed every day.

Our communities deserve to be seen in all their layers and identities, and to feel safe to show up as their whole self.