USW lecturer leading FSB’s diversity effort
A University of South Wales (USW) lecturer, and scrapyard owner, has been named as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) UK-wide Diversity Chair.
Helen Walbey, who is MD of Recycle Scooters in Aberdare, has been appointed to head-up the FSB’s committee responsible for diversity policy.
Helen has run her own business since 2004, when she started trading bike parts online as a way to make ends meet after her husband had been seriously injured in an accident at work.
Today her company trades parts internationally, and has a number of major contracts for motorcycle dismantling.
She now also passes on her experience in trading to business students at USW – providing a current real-world perspective on employability skills, enterprise development, and gender.
Helen’s passion for diversity issues is borne from her own experiences of being a female business-owner in a sector which is dominated by men. She strongly believes that no-one should be prevented from succeeding in businesses as a result of their gender, race, sexuality or disability.
“I am the only woman in Wales who runs their own motorcycle scrapyard and I have overcome many barriers during the time I have been running my business,” she said.
“I really feel that we need to encourage people from all backgrounds into business so everyone can reach their full potential and the diversity of businesses in the UK can truly represent the diversity of the UK population.”
She is relishing her new role working with other small business-owners within FSB to further the diversity agenda.
“I am really looking forward to getting down to work,” she added.
“I hope to better represent the diversity that already exists within FSB and increase the diversity of our membership even further. I would also like to ensure that diversity is at the heart of small business and small business policy across the whole of the UK.”
Spotted something? Got a story? Email News@News.Wales
