Why SRAG Members Give Up Their Lunch Hour

September 05, 2025Posted by: Sarah

On Tuesday 16 September, we launch a new cycle of SRAG Lunch and Learns, (the next 6 months of events will be made public very soon) and the team is starting the series with a conversation that matters deeply. 

At 1 pm on the 16th, online, chaired by SRAG Secretariat Dr Craig Corrigan, we’ll be joined by Kristina Green from the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), an EIDA Ambassador with lived experience of coercive control and Lynzie Kane from Churchill Group. Together, they’ll explore how domestic abuse affects the workplace, and the role employers can play in offering support and safety.

It’s a conversation that asks us to listen with care and lead with courage - and it sets the tone for another year of meaningful dialogue, powered by real experiences and shared insight.

One Hour, All In

Over the past year, SRAG members and their guests have given up at least one lunch hour each month - always between 1 and 2 pm (technically 55 minutes; we always finish on time!) - to take part in conversations that leave a lasting mark.

Since launching the SRAG Lunch and Learn series, we’ve explored everything from supporting ex-military personnel into work beyond the services, to the impact of unpaid caring on employment, and why working with people on employment pathways while they’re still serving custodial sentences reduces reoffending and builds stability. Every session has created space to share, reflect, and return to work with fresh ideas.

As Karla Conlan from Smart Solutions put it in our July session - a Social Value 101 drop-in where attendees brought their to-do lists and shared recent successes - “Persistence beats resistance.” That’s the spirit we carry forward.

What We’ve Covered Together

Every session in the Lunch and Learn series is now available in the SRAG digital portal - alongside previous years’ sessions including those on the Social Recruitment Covenant, mentoring to strengthen ethnic minority leadership and many more. 

Here’s a snapshot of what we explored this past year:

• Modern slavery risks with Jade Oliver-Morris, Chartered FCIPD and Head of People at Smart Solutions & Staffline Group Plc.

• Partnering with social enterprises, led by Social Enterprise UK.

• Refugee support shared by IKEA, leading to a new SRAG collaboration with Tent Partnership for Refugees.

• Procurement Act changes explained by the PeoplePlus Bid & Social Value teams.

• Leadership exchange between schools and business, with Sarah Caton and Inspiration for All.

• Transport barriers to work, championed by Danni Bunnell from RideTandem | B Corp™

• Youth employment readiness, with Daisy Rowan and Kurt Skillen from Springpod.

• Age-inclusive hiring, with Heather Griffin at Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire.

• Neurodiverse strengths, powered by Fiona Barrett FIEP from Genius Within CIC.

• Building community through social value, with Dr Craig Corrigan and SRAG members.

Each session tackled a barrier or surfaced an opportunity that might otherwise go unseen - always grounded in lived experience, technical insight, or practical action.

More Than a Webinar Series

Lunch and Learns aren’t just webinars. They’re a vital thread in the wider SRAG story.

Themes explored here often carry into our Summits, shape Charter Mark assessments, or spark peer learning across organisations.

The conversation doesn’t end at 55 minutes.

And because every SRAG member can invite as many colleagues as they like, these sessions are as useful for senior leaders as they are for frontline teams - anyone curious about building more inclusive, impactful ways of working.

A New Season, Renewed Focus

We begin this new cycle with a tough but vital topic: domestic abuse and the positive role employers can play.

The session’s mix of voices - lived experience, subject matter expertise, and employer perspective -reflects what SRAG is all about: learning from each other to do better together.

From here, we’ll keep spotlighting the policies, people, and practical steps that matter most - from recruitment and retention to social impact.

You’re Part of This

If you’ve joined a Lunch and Learn before: thank you. You’ve helped shape a culture of learning that reaches far beyond lunchtime. 

If you haven’t yet: now is good! Every session is open, practical, and built to help you move from curiosity to action.

To join the next session or find out more, contact Dr Craig Corrigan at [email protected]

We’d love to have you with us.

September 05, 2025Posted by: Sarah