The WF was forged in the aftermath of the 1980s race riots as an outcome from the Windsor Conference in 1984, hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales. The Conference included business leaders, the government and community leaders, they looked at the causes of the unrest and at the solutions to issues the barriers that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) undergraduates face in the employment market. and the challenges employers face attracting good quality BME graduates.

 

 

The WF was established in 1986 to help young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds to maximise their individual, social and economic talents and in doing so change UK society for the better. Our founders understood that working in partnership was the best way to achieve these outcomes and address inequality, social injustice and prejudice. This is exemplified in the partnerships the WF has had and continues to maintain with leading UK employers from the private, public, and voluntary sectors; and global employers, government departments, public bodies, charitable foundations, schools, colleges, universities, community groups and parents and guardians.