Inclusion Moment: Stuart Culley, Customer & Social Value Lead, Aureos
Friday 18 September 2026
As members of the Major Projects Association, we often talk about complexity. We understand that the success of major projects depends on our ability to look beyond what is immediately visible and understand the people, relationships, and communities connected to the work we deliver. Inclusion must start with this same mindset.
When we discuss diversity, we often focus on characteristics we can see, such as age, gender, ethnicity, or disability. These are important, but they are only part of the story. People’s experiences are shaped by many interconnected factors, including health, caring responsibilities, family circumstances, and life experiences. This is the essence of intersectionality: recognising that every person is shaped by a unique combination of influences.
If I look in the mirror, I see a white, middle-aged man. For much of my life, I assumed many inclusion conversations, while important, were largely centred on the experiences of other people. Over time, however, my perspective has changed.
My wife has most recently experienced serious health challenges caused by degenerative fibroids. What appeared to be a medical condition became something that affected every aspect of family life. Hospital appointments, uncertainty, disrupted plans, and the emotional reality of supporting someone you love became part of our routine. This summer, instead of enjoying a family camping holiday, we found ourselves spending evenings in hospital.
At the same time, my wife and I are raising ten-year-old twins. Like many parents, we balance school, activities, family commitments, and work. It is rewarding, but it also requires constant flexibility. When health challenges enter the picture, that balancing act becomes even more complex.
My understanding has also been shaped by my father, who sustained a spinal injury around ten years ago that left him disabled. Although the injury happened a decade ago, its impact remains part of everyday life. Travel, independence, and family visits all require more planning and consideration than many people would ever need to think about.
These experiences have taught me something important: what we see of a person is often only a fraction of their reality.
If someone met me professionally, they might see a social value professional, a chartered professional, or someone passionate about community impact. What they would not necessarily see are the responsibilities of supporting a partner through health challenges, raising young children, maintaining family connections across long distances, and supporting a parent living with a disability.
Within my own field of social value, we spend our careers trying to understand the needs of communities. We talk about reducing barriers, creating opportunities, improving wellbeing, and ensuring that the benefits of major projects reach a wider and more diverse range of people. These same principles apply to our businesses too.
To achieve that, we need to recognise that our working communities are not made up of categories or statistics. They are made up of individuals, each with their own experiences, challenges, responsibilities, and aspirations.
When people feel included, they are more likely to contribute ideas, share different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and help us make better decisions. Inclusion allows us to understand needs that might otherwise go unnoticed and create solutions that work for more people.
As social value professionals, we often encourage project teams to look beyond the obvious and understand the lived experiences of the communities they serve. Perhaps inclusion asks us to apply the same approach to one another.
Rather than assuming we understand someone’s story, we remain curious.
Every colleague, stakeholder, and community member brings a unique perspective shaped by their own circumstances. It’s vital that we start the journey of genuinely understanding people and that we recognise that there is always more beneath the surface than we first see. That’s where genuine inclusion begins, in serving those around us and appreciating the complexity that comes from the experiences of life.