Janine GriffithsLeeds-based mental health charity Touchstone has been recognised as one of the most inclusive employers in the country, taking the top spot in the charity and health and social care category at the Inclusive Companies Awards 2025.
The organisation was ranked second overall in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List, which highlights employers leading the way on diversity and inclusion across areas such as age, disability, gender, LGBT+, race, faith and religion. It is the fourth consecutive year that Touchstone has been placed in the top three.
Touchstone, which provides mental health and wellbeing services across wider West Yorkshire, said the recognition reflects its ongoing efforts to build a workplace that is safe, diverse and welcoming for all staff and volunteers.
The charity also provides services across East Leeds and Chapeltown, with offices in Harehills, Burmantoffs, Lincoln Green, among other places.
However, Touchstone CEO, Arfan Hanif said that for him, diversity is a core part of the charity’s identity. He said: “Every member of staff delivers inclusive outcomes. I don’t need a diversity team. It gets ghettoised.
“So even though we don’t have those resources compared to other employers, what we’ve done is we’ve embedded it in our day to day business. I don’t need any EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) team. I don’t need an equalities manager. We do it because it’s part of our business.”
A third of its staff are from diverse, ethnic backgrounds. Around a quarter come from LGBTQ+ plus backgrounds and 20% have a disability. In addition, 50% of the senior leadership team are black.
Hanif added that one of the charity’s goals is to lead the way in inclusive mental health provision. He explained: “I want Touchstone to be seen nationally as a leader in the area of mental health and the champion of underserved and underrepresented communities.”
The annual list is compiled by a panel of judges and is regarded as the only UK benchmarking scheme dedicated to assessing internal inclusivity across all protected characteristics. Organisations featured span a wide range of sectors, with the rankings intended to showcase employers that have embedded inclusive practices at every level.
