Chief Petty Officer Janine Potts, Deputy Race and Ethnicity Inclusion Advocate Royal Navy
“The Navy? What is that?!” Few Royal Navy sailors started their careers with that question, but then most Royal Navy sailors didn’t grow up in land-locked Zimbabwe.Janine arrived in England aged 19, having been invited by her aunt when Janine felt she needed to leave Zimbabwe due to the political unrest of the 1990s, “So I left, came to London and it was exciting. I’d never left Africa before. It was a cultural shock and London was just buzzing.” Next, Janine needed to figure out, “How do I stay?”Janine’s experiences of growing-up in a mixed-race community in Africa and her infectious enthusiasm have made her ideal for her current role, 20 years into her career, now a Chief Petty Officer working in the Royal Navy’s “complex but exciting” Race and Ethnicity Advocacy space.“For me, it’s about education… We just want to be able to… have those safe and open conversations that are uncomfortable, to be honest… talking about racism, race, nationality, ethnicity… Because what I found is, we can't change the past, but we can change the future; and the contemporary Navy is what's important for us now. So to help get the organisation ready for those future leaders that are coming through is what's really, really important…. listening to what the communities are telling us and things that we could do better.”Connect with Janine on LinkedIn.Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.Find out more about the Company of Makers or sign up to our newsletter.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help. Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.To find out more contact us.