“There is sometimes a void in which people struggle to feel empathy, and education is the key”
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL
Toni Hegarty, Project Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, is defined by her resilience, her commitment to inclusivity, and her passion for education. She spoke to myGwork about her experience growing up in Northern Ireland, joining the finance industry, and her hopes for the future of LGBTQ+ equality.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Toni was raised in a working-class family and grew up well aware of the conservative values held in her town at the time. She witnessed the influence of political and social tensions, but instead of impacting her negatively, she used it to fuel an active involvement in encouraging empathy and understanding.
“Being raised in a working-class area, I remember couples being bricked out of their houses,” she reflects. “I definitely feel like Northern Ireland has a heightened sense of assumptions made. Like, ‘You’re this side of the fence, you must be this religion’, for example. So, I’ve always been a big advocate for equality and as people, we need to be empathetic, we need to be understanding, and we need to not be quick to make assumptions.”
Starting her career in high-street retail, she went on to embrace the world of banking and finance after moving to Edinburgh. Her tenure at Lloyds Banking Group began with a temporary position handling phone calls, which evolved into a permanent role as a Business Support Manager within just 12 months. Eight years into her journey at Lloyds, Toni has since delved into various roles and areas within the organisation, appreciating the diverse opportunities it offers.
Looking back on her initial entry into the banking sector, Toni candidly shares her surprise at joining the industry, given her predominantly creative background. It was ultimately her language and people skills, developed from her days in retail, that helped open doors for her within the company. Her advancement within Lloyds Banking Group coincided with a significant push for inclusivity as a core value, reflecting a broader effort within the company to seek out and embrace diverse perspectives. Toni’s unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion is epitomised in her advocacy for the Rainbow Network within Lloyds, supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
“To be able to see the progress made within Lloyds,” she says. “Helping colleagues, the network, putting on events to raise awareness, charity fundraising… to see that and be a part of something that actually tries to push that message externally as well? It’s something that I find so reassuring.”
To Toni, the authenticity behind this progression is as important as implementing the values themselves. It’s easy for any business to portray an exterior of allyship without putting in any effort behind the scenes, but the profound impact of Lloyd’s initiatives is clear. The organisation actively works to support and raise awareness for underrepresented communities, with employee safety and satisfaction at the core of their motives.
“Sometimes these company values can be a bit stuffy and maybe quite vague about what they want to achieve,” explains Toni. “But the description of what Lloyd’s values really meant was about seeking out each other’s differences and actually embracing them. That, to me, is key.”
In fact, one of Lloyd’s most prominent values is prioritising education as a means of progression. Toni believes that the majority of discriminatory behaviour is simply a result of a lack of understanding rather than outright spite. Prominent, diverse role models and educating people on identities and topics they may have no experience with is the path forward.
“I think about some of my family back home, who have maybe spent their whole lives in Northern Ireland and have very little exposure to other races, other religions, other sexualities. The difference is that for them, there is sometimes a void in which people struggle to feel empathy, and education is the key.”
Despite the strides made in advocating for inclusivity and diversity, Toni remains deeply concerned about the negative portrayal and challenges faced by the trans community in the media. She highlights the alarming consequences of vitriol and misleading perspectives, underscoring the dangerous real-world impacts such portrayals can have.
“The commentary from a lot of the tabloids and the press, and the stigma around the trans community is something that really concerns me,” she says. “It’s difficult because there does seem to be a real divide at the minute because of the language being used and these perspectives that can be very, very misleading.”
Toni’s journey epitomises the values she champions – education, representation and action. All of these efforts reflect a wider ethos of the organisation’s ongoing mission towards a more inclusive and empathetic society.
Lloyds Banking Group is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about job opportunities at Lloyds Banking Group.
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