IWD 2021: Q&A with Amy Kington, CEO, Community of Purpose

8th March 2021

As part of International Women’s Day on 8th March, we spoke to Amy Kington, CEO, Community of Purpose to learn more about her views on women in business and what a more gender-balanced world-view means to her.

Tell us about your role? 

I have been involved in using sport and education for social change in Bristol since 1998.  I am super passionate about improving the life chances of young people and creating opportunities so that they can fulfil their potential. In 2016, I founded Community of Purpose CIC, with the aim of helping businesses to play their part in making Bristol a better place for young people. The organisation is now a thriving and respected organisation in the city, working with communities, business, local authority, and voluntary sector organisations to be a force for good.  

What do you enjoy most about your job?   

I really love seeing the impact that our programmes have on the lives and futures of Bristol’s young people.  Seeing them engage with our staff and build positive relationships that unlock their thoughts, feelings and aspirations is so rewarding.  Providing the platform for new ideas and experiences along with the encouragement to enhance their life skills is also very gratifying.  Most of all I love seeing business use their passions, talents, and gifts as a force for good in the City. When they map who they know and what they can do to support us they act as real changemakers! 

And what are the most challenging aspects? 

We are a social enterprise and getting access to funding that is available to charities is a challenge.  Social enterprises are critical to many communities.  We are businesses, but we deliver for children and young people, many of whom are the most vulnerable in our City.  We often deliver where others do not or can not operate so a level playing field between all of those serving society would be incredibly welcomed.  

What 3 things do you think you need to progress as a woman in business? 

Hunger, Vision and Tenacity! 

What are the biggest challenges the future generation of women in business face?

The business world is no longer just a man’s world but for a lot of my career I have found most of the people in the room are men.  It is important to see this as an opportunity though, as it is easier to stand out and be remembered.  It can also be hard to build a support network in a ‘boys club’ world. Again, there is an opportunity to seek both men and women as connections and mentors in helping you on your career journey. 

What can the next generation bring to business that previous generations may not have? 

The younger generation already has a keener awareness around the issue of equality.  STEM subjects remain the preserve of men and since Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, there have only been 17 women who have won a Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine, compared to 572 men.  Women make up only 35% of STEM students in higher education and globally account for less than 30% of the world’s researchers.  In the UK, they represent 14.4%.  Increasing women in STEM could increase the UK’s labour value by £2bn.  So let’s encourage more women to take these kinds of paths.  

What does a more gender-balanced world-view mean for you?

We need better balance to better the world!  

How can we enable more women to take a place at the board-room table? 

The change starts with us all.  We all need to take responsibility for creating the life we want to live and the workplace culture that we want to be part of.  Sometimes situations seem so set-in stone; there are years of tradition and limiting beliefs, yet if we each take responsibility for what we can be responsible for the world will be a different place!  

How can businesses evolve to be more gender-balanced?

Businesses supporting International Women’s Day is a great way to encourage women and men to take shared ownership in driving gender parity and the gender agenda to create positive change that benefits us all.  

Do you think Covid-19 is having an effect on gender equality?

There’s lots of evidence to suggest that women have been more negatively impacted than men in key ways throughout the pandemic, including women experiencing significantly higher unemployment rates, greater exposure to the virus due to the predominance of women in the frontline healthcare roles and often needing to care for their children.  

What advice would you give to young women and men starting out in business today in context of promoting a more diverse world-view?

For me it is about being fluid and allowing your views to change.

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