FOI release

FOI Information on staff networks

Published 14 July 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vmd-foieir-requests-april-2025/foi-information-on-staff-networks

Request ATI1056

Please include the following information for the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25:

  • A list of all the staff networks at the organisation
  • Whether each network receives internal funding and, if so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years)
  • How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to. For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years)
  • A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day), including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event

Reply

List of all the staff networks at the organisation

  • We have the following staff networks:
    • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing
    • Menopause (since June 2023) – From April 2024 we no longer consider this a staff network

Whether each network receives internal funding

If so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years).

  • These networks do not receive funding, however, staff time to engage with these networks is supported.

How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to

For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years).

  • We have no record of specific staff time entitlement. However, we have estimated the amount of staff time supported annually for network activities to be:
    • EDI and Wellbeing between 10-15% of an FTE collectively, which also includes VMD’s representation in Defra Group networks.
    • Menopause for 2023/24 only. Between 7-10% of an FTE collectively.

A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day)

Including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event.

  • The EDI and Wellbeing network held the following events since April 2023:
    • EDI Lunch Session – June 2023
    • EDI Training for line managers – guest speaker from Defra - April 23 to Feb 24
    • Let’s talk about race – guest speaker from Defra – April 23 to Dec 23
    • Disability is diverse – guest speaker from TellJane – July 2023
    • Microaggressions and mental health – guest speaker from TellJane – June and July 2023
    • Proximity bias – guest speaker from TellJane – Aug 2023
    • LGBTQ+ awareness – guest speaker from TellJane – Aug 2023
    • About EDI networks – guest speakers from Defra – Nov 2023
  • The Menopause network held the following events since April 2023 (no longer considered a staff network from April 2024):
    • Menopause network session - June 2023
    • Menopause network session - July 2023
    • Menopause network session - September 2023
    • Menopause network session - November 2023
    • Menopause network session - March 2024
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