CHLOE DAVIES

HEAD OF SOCIAL IMPACT AT LUCKY GENERALS

What is Lucky Generals and what does your role involve?
Lucky Generals is a creative company for people on a mission. My role requires taking a fresh approach to social responsibility, including sustainability as well as Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. The position spans both Lucky Generals’ own approach to social responsibility and the clients’ strategies. Essentially, I am responsible, alongside management, for setting the company’s social impact goals and ensuring that they are met in the most effective and creative ways possible.

You’re a full-time ambassador for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in England and Wales. Again, what does that role involve and do you think that the LGBTQ+ community has specific mental health issues that our straight friends may not have?
As an ambassador my role is to support MHFA England to improve the mental health of the nation, bringing my expertise of inclusion and equality in social spaces, corporate organisations, and the wider community, to the social enterprise. I absolute agree that the LGBTQ+ community has its own mental health issues and, within that, dependent on the additional layers of your identity you carry, you may face further difficulties. Working parents, carers, people of colour, neuro-diverse people, our trans and non-binary siblings, we know that within our wider community many are really struggling with their mental health, experiencing anxiety and depression as just a few examples and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to effect so many more each day.

Compared to years ago, LGBTQ+ people are arguably becoming more and more accepted n society. But it’s not perfect. What more needs to be done?
Through whose eyes? There is definitely a greater visibility for our wider community but I don’t think I can agree that there is more acceptance when we see the way the wider trans community are being targeted and in particular Black trans women who are being killed in disproportionate numbers. Trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people still cannot self-identify on legal documentation such as their passports, and hate crimes are on the rise. There is still so much to be done, within community, in the workplace, in wider society, probably never more than at a time like now.

What has been your proudest achievement – both professionally and personally – to date?
Personally – it will always be my sons, Miles and Theo. It’s an honour to be their mother, they are the gift I prayed for and never thought I would ever meet.

Professionally – right now it’s the role that I’m in, I really feel like every day I am contributing to making a positive change within, to and for society which is incredibly motivating but, I’ll be honest, I hope that I have many more as I grow and as my career continues into the future.