BWYS! BORN TO MAKE AN IMPACT
OUR STORY, MISSION AND TEAM
WE ARE
BE WHAT YOU SEE
Be What You See was founded in February 2022 by Catherine Millan. Throughout her career, Catherine has worked in and with multiple organisations to support young people and adults from marginalised communities to reduce hate crime and discrimination.
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In the aftermath of the 2017 Manchester Bombing, there was a spike in cases of hate crime in the city and across the UK. Catherine saw this rise and took action working with schools across Greater Manchester to support their pupils in learning about the attitudes that feed hate crime. This learning was based around combining Active Bystander education and Acts of Rescue and Resistance throughout history. Using this training, Catherine equipped participants with the tools to challenge hate crime and discrimination whilst highlighting how it can escalate when it is left unchallenged.
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After the success of this multi-award-winning approach, Catherine founded Be What You See and redeveloped her interventions into a new programme.
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Be What You See's first focus was the EDI Champions Programme. This model works with young people and adults to educate them on the themes of Anti-Racism, LGBTQIA+ awareness, Neurodiversity awareness and Active Bystander intervention.
In our first year, we rolled the programme out to NHS Trusts, Universities and a Premier League Football Club. In 2023, we branched out into the cultural and consumer goods sectors.
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Towards the end of 2022, we started offering bespoke Active Bystander training and during 2023 we delivered this training with organisations across the UK. ​​In Spring 2024 we will launch our work with young people, where we will bring the EDI Champions Programme and EDI sessions to schools and colleges in the North West.
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If you are interested in working with us please Get In Touch as we'd love to hear from you!
MEET THE FOUNDER
CATHERINE MILLAN
Catherine Millan founded Be What You See because she believed the world was ready to make the real change required to reduce all forms of discrimination.
As a Black, female lesbian who lives with ADHD and Dyslexia, Catherine has always lived in the margins of society and has witnessed first-hand inequalities in healthcare, education and the workplace. This fuelled Catherine's passion to get involved in initiatives such as the Stonewall Awards, the Race Equality Charter Mark and working with her employers to design inclusive environments for neurodiverse employees.​
From being indirectly affected by the racially aggravated murder of Anthony Walker from her home town of Liverpool, to meeting and working with Holocaust survivors. Catherine's first-hand experience of adversity and learning from others' stories have been a driving force for her to bring about changes in society to help build inclusive communities.
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Over the years her work has received local, regional and national recognition and awards, including:
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the Spirit of Manchester Award;
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A Making A Difference Award;
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Speaking at the Houses of Parliament and the;
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Publication of 3 children's books designed to diversify the curriculum.
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This demonstrates not only her passion but her ability to execute real transformational change in communities and the workplace.
Catherine feels extremely passionate about leading a company that seeks to equip a new generation with the skills needed to create a society that is an equal playing field.
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Meet The Team and read more about Catherine's career.