Being an ally isn’t just about noticing harm, it’s about taking action. Race Equality Week is a vital opportunity to pause, reflect, and recommit to creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and safe. It’s also a reminder that while overt discrimination is easier to spot, exclusion often shows up in quieter, more subtle ways. Microaggressions – comments or behaviours that may seem small or unintentional – can still cause real harm and challenging them is an essential part of allyship
At Solace, we recognise that many people want to challenge bias and exclusion but don’t always feel confident doing so. Someone might recognise a microaggression after the moment has passed, or worry about saying the wrong thing, escalating a situation, or causing discomfort. These experiences are common – and they’re exactly why we created our internal training programme, Courageous Conversations.
Courageous Conversations is a bespoke training programme developed in collaboration with Solace staff, following feedback from our Inclusion Networks and EDI Steering Groups and the EDI team. While the training itself is available only to Solace staff, the principles behind it are universal and relevant to everyone.
The training aims to equip colleagues with practical, real-world tools to gently and constructively challenge exclusion in all its forms – from blatant discrimination to the subtlest of microaggressions. It focuses on building the confidence to judge when it’s necessary to step in, how to challenge behaviour respectfully, without jeopardising the relationship. Crucially, it provides opportunities to practice difficult conversations in a safe environment, so people feel more prepared when those moments arise in real life.
Through formal learning, many of us can recognise exclusion when it happens. The harder part is responding in the moment, or knowing it’s still okay to go back and address the issue later. Courageous Conversations reinforces that allyship isn’t about being perfect – it’s about being willing to speak up, learn, and try.
Feedback from participants highlights the impact of this approach. Attendees have shared that they feel more confident in their responsibility as active allies, reminded that it’s “always better to say something” and equipped with simple, memorable tools they can use both professionally and personally.
Solace’s aim is to be a fully inclusive organisation. That means being prepared to address discriminatory or exclusionary behaviour, support colleagues and service users, and ensure no one is excluded. This Race Equality Week, the message is clear: allyship is an action. When we challenge microaggressions and lean into courageous conversations, we help build an environment where everyone belongs.
Solace’s response to the Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness
12 Dec 2025
Nahar Choudhury, CEO of Solace, said: “We welcome the government’s recognition of the unique barriers that women who are experiencing rough sleeping face, including the high prevalence of violence and abuse these women experience, both as a cause and a consequence of their homelessness.