RE:ACTION - ED&I Newsletter - Issue 05 - December 2023

RE:ACTION

OUR ED&I NEWSLETTER ISSUE 05 • DECEMBER 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURED ARTICLES

Note From The Editors Dan Nixon’s Building Blocks on:

ADHD

RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE

By Philippa Davies

WHAT DOES MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH MEAN TO ME?

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE

By Ariana Kalavana and Carrie Lambert

What Men's Mental Health Means To Me?

by Harvey Thomas Building Blocks - ADHD

by Dan Nixon International Day of Women and Girls in Science by Ariana Kalavana Carrie Lambert A Multicultural Winter at Reaction Engines

By Harvey Thomas

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS RUTA MARCINKEVICIUTE

Message from ELT

by Philippa Davies

Employee Spotlight: Philip Tzonev Patrick Rennie

LUDOVICA FORMISANI

ED&I Recommendations Our ED&I newsletter RE:Action is celebrating its one-year anniversary. As we reflect on this journey, it's incredible to see how our newsletter has evolved from its humble beginnings. What started as a few topics in our inaugural issue has now developed into a diverse collection of insights, discussions, and personal stories that reflect the depth and diversity of our Reaction community. We owe this growth and success to each one of you who has contributed over the past year. Your willingness to share your perspectives, experiences, and knowledge has been the driving force behind the meaningful content that fills our pages. As we celebrate this one-year milestone, let's take a moment to acknowledge the power of collective voices coming together to foster understanding, empathy, and positive change.

Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.

Outreach Inclusion Calendar Charities & Support Information

MESSAGE FROM ELT - RETURNING TO WORK PHILIPPA DAVIES

I'm writing this article during my first week back from maternity leave. It's been over a year since I was last at work and it’s an interesting mix of emotions coming back to work, as I’m sure you can imagine. In this first week, I've encountered a blend of successes and challenges. One thing stands out on the positive side, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise. This week has truly highlighted the strength of our team; every person I've interacted with has made a concerted effort to support and welcome me back. As for the challenges, two have stood out this week. Adapting to school drop-offs and enduring a longer commute due to unexpected delays, which extended my usual 35-minute journey to an hour and a half. The second challenge has been finding the time to reacquaint myself with the business amid numerous meetings.

With several women across the organisation having recently returned to work or planning to do so in the next few months, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some insights into what it's like to return to work after a year.

The experience of returning to work has been one of the most professionally challenging for me. This is my third time, and despite the lessons I've learned, new challenges continue to emerge. While I anticipate that it will take some time to feel "back to normal" at work, it’s also difficult to give myself the time needed to rebuild my confidence. Whether these expectations are self-imposed or come from external sources, it's always been difficult for me to manage the time pressure to quickly regain my stride and feel like my "old self" at work. This is a time which has a unique blend of how it feels to start at a new company and piecing together gaps in my knowledge, so there’s a lot to adjust to.

In my conversations with other returning parents, the common thread has been the necessity for patience and understanding during this transition. Regaining a sense of familiarity and confidence takes time, especially while managing new personal arrangements and schedules. The pace of change within Reaction Engines has posed a unique challenge also, with the addition of many new team members and engineering projects in different phases of delivery to when I left. Embracing this journey and recognising that it unfolds at its own pace are crucial to a successful return.

As I navigate my path back to work, I am reminded of the importance of fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace. This is a chapter of my life when personal responsibilities demand considerable attention alongside my professional commitments. This doesn’t change my commitment or passion for supporting the business so having a team that welcomes me back and supports me to make it work is really important. During my time away, it's already evident that the work everyone has put into diversity and inclusion has made a significant impact, creating a more supportive and welcoming atmosphere.

My hope is that this article not only sheds light on the challenges of returning to work but also provides insights that will help you support others in your team who may find themselves in a similar situation.

WHAT MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH MEANS TO ME? HARVEY THOMAS

When I was approached to answer this question, it made me really think. I supposed my personal perspective had been a journey, a sequence of experiences that started when I was young and exposed to the realities of the modern male experience and the struggles of those closest to me. Whilst I can't pin down exactly when and why it started, I remember a few key experiences that stuck out for me, and I want to share them with you all.

I was once an ignorantly blissful student, then I was diagnosed with depression, and now I feel like one of the lucky few who made it through with minimal scars and could quite possibly say I'm stronger for the journey I went through.

Men's mental health online and through organisations is often (at least for one month a year), spoken of in a way that removes the taboo. However, in my experience, I still think we, as men and society, hold back. I remember when I first started getting help. The hardest thing wasn’t the idea that I was broken or ill, the biggest concern for me was what my family and friends would think. Would they accept a version of me that felt the way I did? Would they blame themselves? Would they look at me differently? I think that our biggest barrier to seeking help is the fear of judgement from the ones around us, and this is entirely reasonable. My doctor described my condition to me as a chemical imbalance in my brain, I simply was not producing enough of “the good stuff”, serotonin, dopamine, etc. so, things just felt darker to me, joy was hard to come by (or in reality - hard to produce), and happiness was often fleeting. So, imagine that first step from their perspective and it all starts to make sense, how someone with a seemingly great life could deep down be feeling this way. At the end of the day, it was just biology, and to me just an illness I would one day recover from.

That first conversation is horrible, emotionally painful for the ones who care about you, and may not understand. But the relief I felt when I shared my burden was undeniably the first step I needed to take to recovery and I often think the ones we lose to this illness were the ones who didn't manage to take the first step.

In the Army, at least in the reserves, I can speak a little about my experience. Honestly, mental health is still taboo. As much as we hear otherwise, it is not easy to talk about with your seniors, and official support at best is woeful (in my experience). It was probably harder to open to the Army than it was my own family. However, one member of staff, a Colour Sergeant of the Rifles, was pivotal in my recovery. To this day I will be grateful for his support. He was one of the few who knew about my illness, and I remember him once saying “let me know if you start to feel unwell”. I distinctly remember that term, "unwell", not "moody" or "depressed", he treated it no differently than he would a cold or a flu. And I don’t know why but that helped massively. I was only ill, and that meant I could get better.

My journey through mental health is one perspective and can't represent all who struggle but I can say with absolute certainty, I am a far stronger person than I was - more capable of dealing with stress and emotional challenges than I was before. They almost appear like two versions of the same person, and I look back with gratitude, because it made me who I am today. It may at first appear a burden to those that carry it, but for those who master it, I feel that journey and pain you endure, and the strength you gain become your biggest asset.

You can donate to Harvey’s Movember page here:

And whilst this was a piece about men's mental health, depression is an illness that affects all of us. Many of us will know someone who is/was going through this and speaking once as a sufferer, they will need your support. For me, someone allowing me the opportunity to express myself without fear of judgement was the best medicine. So be there for the ones you care about, break the taboo around mental health, ask the hard questions or just open yourself to those around you.

And finally, if you can and want to support, grow a moustache next November. I know, I know, it can look ridiculous and silly, but in November men's mental health is the closest it is, at present, to accepted conversation, and so grow a moustache or otherwise let your brothers know that it's okay to not be okay and that they can talk to you if they want. As a final point, this was quite a while ago for me, I'm all good now, I'm still Harvey. I just hope that by sharing this story it might help you or someone you know. Anyway, many thanks for reading and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

This article uses ADHD friendly designs

BUILDING BLOCKS - ADHD DAN NIXON

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is a condition that one is born with. It is not a result of bad parenting, video games, smartphones, tiktok, or chemtrails. ADHD is commonly seen alongside other mental conditions such as anxiety, autism, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and depression (a friend was asked to carry out an ADHD test as part of a depression diagnosis, as it’s such a common combination).

ADHD has been separated into three main presentations by the medical authorities: Hyperactive-Impulsive - In children: an inability to sit still, shouting (and acting) out in class, getting in trouble at school. In adults: mental hyperactivity, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing or falling asleep, anxiety, starting lots of new projects/tasks Inattentive (previously known as ADD) - In children: daydreaming, struggling to pay attention in class, quietly chatting in class. In adults: absent-mindedness, memory problems, starting tasks and not finishing them, general disorganisation Combined (a combination of the other two presentations) - Most common type There are many different symptoms associated with ADHD. Some are officially classed as symptoms, but many more are recognised unofficially by the ADHD community. These include:

Trouble focusing/ easily distracted

Difficulty relaxing Fidgeting

Difficulty following instructions

Time blindness/ poor time management

Losing things and other memory issues

Oversharing Mood swings /extreme emotional responses

Talking a lot and quickly Easily overwhelmed

Interrupting

Some sources suggest there is a difference in how the ADHD brain works, specifically related to a reduction in the production and response to Dopamine (the chemical responsible for the feeling of relaxation and satisfaction). Some countries include a brain scan as part of an official ADHD diagnosis.

An ADHD diagnosis can be obtained on the NHS through your GP. It also (ironically) requires filling out a very long (and boring) application on how you have been affected throughout your life. If anyone manages to hand that form back in within a month of receiving it, I personally don’t think they have ADHD! There are many common misconceptions surrounding ADHD, such as:

Only in children ADHD is a lifelong condition.

The hyperactive form of ADHD is more obvious in the “sit-still-shut-up” environment, like a classroom.

Kids just haven’t had the time or opportunity to learn to mask their symptoms yet.

Only in males

Only physically hyperactive

Girls tend to display the inattentive form of ADHD, and are better at masking it.

Due to the masking, many women are undiagnosed at childhood and then struggle with adult life when their coping mechanisms aren’t as effective.

Inattentive-presenting ADHD symptoms are more subtle and easily discounted as ‘just being lazy’ by both the sufferer and others.

Hyperactivity can also be expressed mentally, often surfacing as anxiety.

Can’t concentrate on anything People with ADHD do struggle to focus on things they don’t find immediately engaging, when something does interest them, they can fall into hyper-focus which needs an external factor to shake them out of.

Less productive People with ADHD are not more or less productive on average than those without, but productivity tends to come in bursts.

Many people are prescribed medication when they are diagnosed to help manage the symptoms. The alternatives to medication are coping mechanisms that vary from standard lifestyle improvements to more extreme things like labelling EVERYTHING in the house and timing exactly how long it takes to do common tasks.

BUILDING BLOCKS - ADHD CONTINUED...

ADHD isn’t all bad news – there are many things that people with ADHD tend to be better at/find easier: ADHD brains tend to be more creative as they are capable of exploring many different ideas in a short time.

ADHD-ers get such a kick out of trying new things that we often have a very broad skill set, knowing a little about a lot of things.

People with ADHD tend to be better at lateral thinking and problem solving as we are able to make connections between things that aren’t immediately obvious or intuitive.

ADHD can lead to increased emotional responses, so people with it commonly feel very enthusiastic and passionate about the things they enjoy.

The link to dopamine production supports reports that people with ADHD have an enhanced enjoyment of things like food and music.

My experience I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child at the start of school. I was the stereotypical kid that couldn’t sit still and wouldn’t be quiet. However, I was never medicated and performed well enough in school that I was taken off the special needs register before secondary school, and at the time I thought that was the end of it (as did my mum). It’s not been until my more recent exposure to ADHD through my wife’s work in ED&I and an increase in ADHD-related media online that I’ve realised a lot of the things that I struggle with in my day-to-day life are also a result of ADHD. I’ve found that ADHD mostly affects the tasks that everyone finds difficult (doing chores, dealing with boredom, concentrating in long meetings), which can lead to the feeling that it’s a personal failing rather than a medical condition. The biggest factor in how much I’m affected is my energy level – the more tired I am, the harder I find keeping on top of my symptoms. I’m not just referring to sleep quality/amount, for example it takes a large amount of energy to force myself to focus on something that my brain has decided not to. This can easily lead to an exhausting and frustrating vicious cycle unless I take a break and/or approach the problem from a different angle. I’m still working out the best ways to manage my symptoms, and I know that these will change over time.

Coping strategies that I currently use include: Making origami models to help me concentrate or relax me during a stressful day. Doing something with my hands is very relaxing and if I’m familiar with the model I’m making it doesn’t take much of my attention.

‘Brain dumping’ – making notes on everything going on in my head at any point, regardless of topic or context. This both frees up space in my head and allows me to capture racing thoughts in a visual way that allows me to process and structure them.

Having an agenda for meetings to remind me what I’m there for and keep me on-topic.

Taking notes - coming out of a meeting with a textbased copy of every import piece of information and every action means I can be confident I haven’t forgotten anything important.

Knowing when to give up is incredibly important! If I’m struggling to focus and haven’t managed to do anything for an hour or so, then one of the worst things I can try and do is knuckle down and push through. I need to know when is the best time to move onto something else or take a coffee break.

Caffeine and sugar are very effective tools to temporarily boost focus and energy levels. However, I must carefully monitor my caffeine tolerance as it’s easy to consume more and more each day and then not feel the benefits when I really need it.

One thing that’s helped me manage my symptoms the most throughout my life is Tae Kwon Do. I started when I was about 8 and through it, I have learned selfdiscipline and mindfulness techniques that I apply often in my day-to-day life.

Here are some useful accommodations for ADHD that can make work life much easier: Important actions, information, or instructions are most useful to me in written format – if I need to remember anything from a verbal communication, feel free to prompt me to write it down.

When I’m talking, it’s not rude to warn me if I’m going off-topic. Remind me what I was meant to be talking about, then I’ll get back to the point.

My time awareness is terrible! It usually takes me an hour or two and a spreadsheet to make accurate predictions for how long a piece of work will take. I won’t be able to give a useful answer if put on the spot.

Don’t be afraid to poke me if I’m hyper focusing and you need something. Chances are I’ve not looked up in a few hours and could do with a loo break anyway.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE Celebrated on the 11th of February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was established in 2015 by the United National General Assembly and aims to recognise the critical role women play in science and technology, promoting gender equality and encouraging girls and women to pursue careers in STEM. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in many STEM disciplines. Studies show that women and girls often face barriers in STEM education and workplaces.

Encouragingly, initiatives and awareness campaigns are making a positive impact, and more efforts are being made to bridge the gender gap. Every year, there is a distinct theme to this celebration and the 2024 one is “Women and Girls in Science Leadership, a New Era for Sustainability” with the subtheme: “Think Science ...

Think Peace”. At the 9th assembly, women in science leaders, government officials, international organisations, and the private sector will discuss women's leadership in achieving the three pillars of Sustainable Development: economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental integrity.

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we would like to share stories from two of the many inspiring women we have at Reaction Engines.

And if you'd like to celebrate this day on your social media, the UN invites you to use the hashtag #WomenInScience to join the conversation, defy gender stereotypes, and spread the word.

ARIANA’S STORY ARIANA KALAVANA

What are your ideas and personal experiences about women in STEM? I share quite a bit about women in STEM on my socials with the goal of showing younger women that engineering can be a career option for them too. To some this statement might sound odd but it’s difficult at times for a woman to imagine herself in a career path that she hasn’t seen a lot of women do. Children are statistically known to latch onto stereotypes from a very young age, some of these being job roles for specific genders through their environment (what they are told, the media and even toys that they are exposed to). There are many ways to contribute to increasing the number of women in aerospace and engineering through representation.

Why did you decide to become a space influencer?

There was a distinct moment that sparked my interest in space exploration. One summer I stumbled upon a YouTube video of astronaut Karen Nyberg on the International Space Station (ISS), looking out of the cupola. I was mesmerised, the fact that humans are orbiting the planet as we speak and get to call that their office made me realise that I wanted to work in the industry.

Not a lot of people in my school were interested in the topic, so I thought what better way to connect with other space nerds than through social media. I started my page in the summer of 2016 and have been posting regularly since. It’s grown quite a bit over the last few years and has offered me many opportunities. I post all about space news, aerospace engineering, and my journey over the years. Through my page I hope to share advice to others wishing to follow a similar path (resources for studying aerospace engineering at university and how to prepare for that in school) but also to inspire young women.

ARIANA’S STORY CONTINUED...

Some of the coolest experiences I’ve had with my account have been two trips with the European Space Agency as a space communicator and interviewing Astronaut Anne McClain at the University of Bristol as an alumnus. In February 2023, I was invited to ESA’s facilities in Bremen, Germany where they were assembling ESM-3 and ESM-4 and we also saw the finalised ESM-2 that was ready to be delivered to NASA. The ESM is the European Service Module which is essentially the life support of the Orion capsule that will take humans back to the Moon and hopefully beyond. It was incredible to see a module up close and personal that will soon be launched into space and keep the Artemis astronauts alive. Astronaut Alexander Gerst and newly appointed astronaut Pablo Alvarez were there too. It was interesting speaking to Pablo who offered a different perspective than any previous astronauts I’ve spoken to since he had just recently transferred from his job as an aerospace engineer in the UK to start training as an astronaut at ESA. At the time, he shared how it was truly surreal to him that he was chosen to become an astronaut, even if the application phase was months long with multiple stages.

The second event I went to was in November 2023 at the European Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk Netherlands to celebrate EIRSAT-1 and network with the team there. We got to tour the facility and it was incredible to see how well designed their meeting rooms and workspaces are. Especially their Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) that focuses on subsystems working together throughout a project lifecycle evolving a design iteratively, minimising overall project risk.

Your advice for early careers colleagues?

I think it’s important to grasp exciting opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone and say yes, however scary (or not) they may be. I personally always feel refreshed, inspired, and motivated after such events and I find it really inspires me to be creative and keep working on things I’m passionate about. My best tips for networking would be to aim to create meaningful connections with people and learn from their experiences. Whether this ends up in a work opportunity or not. There are also so many platforms you can network on nowadays, from LinkedIn, other social media platforms, and of course in person events so make use of whichever feels the most comfortable to you!

CARRIE’S STORY CARRIE LAMBERT

Great Minds Don’t Think Alike

I don’t come from a family of engineers, and no one particularly encouraged me towards STEM subjects or a career in this area. I grew up playing with barbies and dolls because, with three sisters and fairly traditional parents, this is what I was given and so it wasn’t until I was older that I realised that not having as much hands-on experience building and fixing things, was a bit of a weakness for me compared to my engineering mates who had grown up playing with Meccano or tinkering under the car bonnet alongside their dad. However, I’ve always liked the challenge of solving a problem, I loved maths and was also always very curious about the environment.

So when, at age 11, we were given an open maths challenge (“think up and solve a problem of your choice”), after reading my one book about the environment (that I purchased at a garage sale and was utterly intrigued by) I decided that I was going to calculate when the world was going to run out of oxygen due to deforestation and a growing population. I pored through the library’s encyclopaedias to extract whatever relevant data I could find (internet was not in the library or at home yet), developed pie charts, compiled my logic and presented my results.

CARRIE’S STORY CONTINUED...

My teacher smiled in a knowing way but was impressed by my efforts. Well, of course I had it all wrong. We weren’t going to run out of oxygen; the real problem was the increase in CO2, but this wasn’t mainstream knowledge and definitely not part of the Australian school education system in the early 1990’s. However, I still have this project at home and to be honest, I feel proud that I was at least trying to grapple with these important problems at such a young age.

A high proportion of climate activists and warriors are female. This also includes the majority female workforce for the not for profits and NGOs who are often over-skilled and over-educated relative to their rate of pay (widening the gender pay gap but for a good cause). Whilst policy and campaigning play an important galvanising role; a further critical factor for fighting the climate crisis is identifying, developing and embedding the most appropriate technical solutions. Therefore, I think that we need to encourage the trend of growing women in the sustainability field and ensure this translates to an increase in the numbers working in science and engineering. To be successful with this I believe that we must do two things. Firstly, we need to continue to show that developing and embedding technology is an effective way of creating change. Secondly, as individuals and companies, we need to demonstrate that your voice and your views can still be heard whilst working for a commercial organisation.

You may well ask why does this matter, why do we want more women, more diversity when solving these engineering challenges? It has been documented Carrie Lambert at COP28 through multiple studies that the most creativity, the truly optimised solutions and best decisions occur when you have a diverse team working on a problem.

This diversity should span not only gender, orientation, ethnicity, geographical domain and culture but should also include aspects like a variety of educational and industrial backgrounds. Essentially it takes many perspectives to solve a problem and great minds don’t all think alike.

I was privileged to attend COP28 recently, and one of the key things that I took away from the event was my own need for more diverse, global perspectives, to better understand the potential technical solutions we’re developing and their likelihood of success. To ensure that solutions are practical, economically viable and can be implemented at the rate needed, understanding their operating context is vital. This context will vary significantly depending on geography, the level of economic development and the culture in which the solution needs to be embedded. At COP28, a term commonly used was ‘Just Transition’, which recognises that for a significant portion of the world's population, climate change will need to be tackled alongside much needed economic development to reduce poverty, in many cases whilst simultaneously narrowing the divide between the rights of men and women, and also dealing with a changing environment as climate change impacts are realised.

Mural at COP28

Females are typically responsible for the majority of domestic work and are the last to have access to education. Its uptake is however often facilitated by mechanisms that help to reduce domestic workload thereby freeing girls up to go to school. So, going forward, as rural communities in the global south are transferred to renewable sources like wind and solar, we need to ensure that the availability of their power grids is high, and that key technology enablers to free up girls and women for education are in place, to avoid inadvertently setting back this change. To understand what these enablers are, we need to consult with them as a minimum, but ideally work with them as the planners and engineers to design the best solutions for their communities and nations.

A MULTICULTURAL WINTER AT REACTION ENGINES International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21st February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. The holiday season is celebrated in various ways across different cultures and through a recent survey on Stellar we asked colleagues to share how they say ‘happy holidays’ in their native language and share their winter traditions.

German/Swiss German

English

Danish

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year in Swiss German = Frohi Feschtäg und es guets Neus!

Or in German = Frohe Feiertage, und ein guten Rutsch!

Happy Christmas = Glædelig jul!

(Pronounced: “Gla(y)-the-lee yool”.)

Good New Year = Godt nytår!

(Pronounced: “Got neet-or”)

Lithuanian Happy Holidays = Linksmų švenčių!

Happy New Year = Laimingų Naujųjų Metų

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Malay Happy New Year = "Selamat tahun baru!"

Tamil Happy New Year = இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் The transliteration is Iniya Puthaandu Nalvaalthukkal.

Portuguese Happy Holidays = Boas Festas!

(Pronounced “(Bow)-ush (Fesh)-tash”) Happy New Year = Feliz Ano Novo (Pronounced “Fe-(lish) (Ah)-nu (No)vu”) Syllable in () is to be stressed

French

Happy Holidays = Bonne Vacances

Serbian Italian Happy Holidays = Buone Feste!

Happy New Year = Felice Anno Nuovo!

Greek Happy Holidays = Kαλές διακοπές or in Cypriot dialect Kales Diakopes

Happy Holidays = Srećni praznici or in Cyrillic Срећни новогодишњи и Божићни празници

U.K. / U.S.A.

Happy Holidays is used more in America than England, but has been used more frequently in English culture in the last few centuries to include the range of holidays celebrated this time of year, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

An English Christmas typically consists of spending time with family on Christmas Day, opening presents, going for a chilly walk, and eating big plates of Turkey and all the trimmings.

Switzerland

Swiss German has no grammatical structure, it's very free flowing and changes depending on region and speaker. This stems from the isolationist nature of the mountain and valley villages and how each region developed the language differently.

A Swiss German Christmas is a family-centric holiday, getting gifts from loved ones, and enjoying the cozy inside together to get away from the cold snow outside. Gifts are typically opened on the evening of the 24th, with the 25th being about having a lovely Christmas dinner with Fondue Chinoise (Chinese Hotpot).

Denmark

Lithuania

Denmark celebrates Christmas on December 24th, Christmas Eve. Traditionally, that means eating an elaborate Christmas dinner in the evening and opening presents, and spending time with family and friends often late into the night.

While it varies from family to family, in Lithuania Christmas Eve is often more important than Christmas. It is a time for reflection, where families eat 12 meals (for 12 apostles) and no meat or sweets allowed until Christmas day since it's the last day of Advent.

Lithuania has a lot of pagan roots, hence some families still do spells and games to predict the future, for example, on Christmas Eve, you go outside and if you hear a dog barking, the direction the sound came from is where your future partner is from. Another is throwing a slipper over your shoulder, if it lands facing away from you, that means you will move away from home that year or if it faces towards you, you will stay where you are.

Christmas in Malaysia is mainly a commercial holiday as Christians only make up about 10% of the population, so most people only think of Christmas as a fun time with parties, decorations Malaysia in stores and public places and presents. But many Malaysians give and receive money in red packets known as 'Ang Paus'. There are normally sales in shops around Christmas and the new year, so they like to spend their Ang Paus after Christmas in the sales!

Portugal

Portuguese is a language full of tradition, convention, heritage and knowledge passed down throughout generations; it is more than a means of communication, it is an identity.

In Portugal Christmas celebration occurs on the 24th of December. Traditionally, the main course is boiled codfish and every year we have the iconic Portuguese Christmas cake: Bolo Rei (King Cake). Then at midnight presents are exchanged! Christmas Day is a continuation of Christmas Eve, playing board games, watching Christmas films and visiting family.

France

In France the tradition is to spend the Christmas Eve and Christmas with family. People usually have lunch on Christmas day and then for the New Year’s Eve people celebrate together with friends.

In Italy, Christmas is celebrated by having a family dinner on the 24th, lunch on the 25th and lunch on the 26th (Catholic festivity called Santo Stefano). Dinner on the 24th is usually fish Italy based, we eat pasta with river shrimps which is very traditional! We then have codfish with potatoes and fried bread. We also drink our traditional cherry liquor called Ratafia, which takes 4 months to make from scratch so we usually start preparing it in summer and taste it for the first time on Christmas Eve. After dinner, we unwrap our presents and then play Tombola (Italian bingo).

On the 25th we have lasagna and lamb with sides and the 26th is dedicated to eating leftovers from the previous days! We spend New Year's with friends, having dinner on the 31st and waiting for midnight to party!

Greek is used worldwide in multiple fields due to its flexibility to create new words using parts of other words. You can read math symbols and understand why certain things are called the Cyprus way they are called in multiple scientific fields, eg. magnetism, ornithology, geography, osteoporosis and many more.

Traditions are similar to the rest of Europe, but there are special Christmas desserts called 'melomakarona' and 'kourabiedes' which on Christmas Eve are left with a glass of red wine for Santa to have a snack. Christmas day is spent with family consuming humongous amounts of food. New Years Eve is also spent with relatives enjoying food, and after the clock strikes midnight, we cut a cake called 'Vasilopita' while saying, "In the Name of the Father. and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." if religious. When the Vasilopita is prepared, a coin is baked into the ingredients. Sweet flavoring is added to the bread which symbolize the eternal sweetness and joy of life.

When cut, the person who finds the coin is said to be granted luck for the rest of the year.

Serbian belongs to South-Slavic group of languages and is newly re-named "Serbian" at end of 1990s. Since 2000 and dissolution of Yugoslavia, the same language previously called (SerboSerbia Croatian) is now called either Serbian or Croatian or Bosnian or Montenegrin (they couldn't agree even about the name :), but good for your CV to immediately get 4 languages in).

In Serbia, the main Church is the Orthodox Church and they still use the old 'Julian' Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January!

State of Tamil Nādu, India

Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world that is still spoken today!

Being a predominantly tropical region, where winters are not chilly but rather pleasant at around 24°C, this time is embraced by embarking on long road trips to the gorgeous mountains and endless coastlines presented along the south-east of India with our loved ones. It's a perfect opportunity to explore the tropical beauty around and enjoy the cool, comfortable climate with refreshing rain showers, which is a respite from the extremely hot and humid summers.

GIFT GIVING WHILST SUPPORTING CHARITIES If you’re looking for gift inspiration this winter, why not check out some of these fantastic purpose-driven brands and charities.

Harry Specters - Award-Winning Luxury Chocolate Bars Inspired by the Founder’s son, autistic people are involved in every aspect of this business – from making and packaging the products to administration, design and photography. harryschocs.co.uk/pages/our-story Wonderbooks - Monthly multicultural children’s books Created by the charity, Save The Children, your support helps tackle some of the biggest problems that make the world unfair for children today. www.wonderbooks.org.uk Arthouse Unlimited - Chocolates, mugs, tea towels, skincare and more ...

A charity presenting artistic talents of adults with complex neuro-diverse and physical support needs. arthouseunlimited.org/about-us/ Scamp & Dude - Woman owned clothing brand Following a personal experience, giving-back is at the heart of everything this purpose-led brand does. scampanddude.com/pages/our-story From Babies With Love - baby gifts Every penny of profit goes to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. frombabieswithlove.org/pages/story

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT PHILIP TZONEV

“Hi everyone! I joined Reaction Engines just over a year ago as part of the 2022 Graduate Intake. I was drawn to Reaction Engines by its innovative spirit and reputation for doing some pretty cutting-edge stuff. I started working as an aerothermal engineer supporting the AT team on motorsport bids, CFD analysis of intercoolers, and a CFD study on radiators. Following this, I moved onto the HVX project as a V&V engineer, supporting the creation of a TDP strategy for the programme.

ED&I to me represents giving everyone an equal voice and opportunity to shine and be their best selves. I think my perspective stems from my older sister. She was born with physical and mental handicaps, and through her, I was exposed to many different disabilities from a young age. The main thing that always stood out to me was her (and others’) happiness and unyielding spirit, especially despite what they have had to overcome. Growing up I saw what a strong and supportive community could do, and how the community itself became stronger through the shared experiences and perspectives.

That's why ED&I is so important to me, as I think giving everyone the supportive environment they need, pushes everyone beyond what they thought was possible, no matter their starting point. “

PATRICK RENNIE

“For those who don’t already know me, I am a self-confessed space enthusiast having had the pleasure to play around with spaceplanes, their engines, and their applications, since early 2017. It is difficult to pinpoint a highlight since it has all been good fun – some examples: working with CNES & ONERA on a spaceplane launch vehicle, space-based manufacturing with BAE Systems, space nuclear propulsion with UKAEA, and lately working with Virgin Galactic on suborbital spaceplanes.

My interest in ED&I stems from early childhood. I am a triplet, thus have been accustomed to sharing absolutely everything throughout my upbringing – fairness is a core principle ingrained in me, and injustice really strikes a nerve. Despite what I consider a bumpy road to where I am today, I still recognise advantages that carried some of the burden. Today, I have a mission to increase the uptake of young women into STEM, since there’s an obvious drop-off between GCSE and A-Levels. I am known around Reaction to dabble in outreach activities, a passion of mine, but less well-known is that I also run the Mars Society in the UK, centred around generating public interest in space, from analogue astronautics to its own outreach programme. “

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME Free and confidential service for employees to help you with a wide range of work, family and personal issues, including but not limited to stress & anxiety, bereavement, relationship advice, housing concerns, financial wellbeing, legal information, alcohol & drug issues, childcare support and more.

Access the EAP at healthassuredeap.co.uk.

Download the "My Healthy Advantage" app.

Check Stellar post for information on username, password and freephone number.

ED&I RECOMMENDATIONS In each issue we recommend ED&I content which may help build understanding and empathy. These may be books, films, TV shows, or podcasts, and they may relate to any subject, including LGBTQIA+, race, religion, disability, mental health, or gender.

We hope you can find time to enjoy some of this incredible work.

Temple Grandin - Apple TV Biopic on Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who becomes one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.

MOVIES Good Will Hunting - Netflix This film explores the struggles of a brilliant young man dealing with past trauma and working through his mental health challenges with the help of a therapist.

BOOKS

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren A memoir by acclaimed geochemist Hope Jahren, "Lab Girl" provides a personal and insightful look into her life in science, the challenges she faced, and her passion for research.

Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey This book provides insights into ADHD and offers practical advice on coping strategies, treatment options, and understanding the condition.

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig When Matt was 24, his life no longer seemed worth living.

Reasons to Stay Alive is the authors memoir about that time in his life. But it’s not just that, it’s a book that’s here to help you, too. It’s here to help you realise that you can do what makes you happy and make the most out of your life on earth, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

PODCASTS

Women in Technology (WIT) - Podcast on Spotify This podcast inspires its listeners with stories from leaders within the organisation, influential women in the STEM industry, the men who help support women rise, and other captivating stories to empower and reinforce WIT's motto of advancing girls and women from the classroom to the boardroom.

INCLUSION CALENDAR Are we missing an event that's meaningful for you? If you'd like to ensure we include a specific date or event in a future edition, please let the editors know. Additionally, if you'd like to share information about why it's important for you, we would love to hear your story.

DECEMBER 2023 1st - World AIDS Day 2nd - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 3rd - International Day of People with Disabilities 7th - 15th – Hanukkah (Jewish) 8th - Pansexual Pride Day 8th - Bodhi Day (Buddhist holiday) 10th - Human Rights Day 18th - International Migrants Day 20th - International Human Solidarity Day 21st – Yule – Winter Solstice (Pagan) 23rd - Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day, India) 25th - Christmas Day (Christianity) 26th Dec -1st Jan - Kwanzaa (African American)

JANUARY 2024 Red January - a nationwide movement for mental wellbeing 4th - World Braille Day 6th – 7th - Orthodox Christmas 13th – Lohri Maghi (Sikh) 14th - Makar Sankranti (Hindu) 15th - Samaritans' Brew Monday 15th - Martin Luther King Jnr Day 20th - Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (Sikh) 21st - World Religion Day 25th - Burns Night 25th - Mahayana New Year (Buddhist) 27th - Holocaust Memorial Day

FEBRUARY 2024 USA Black History Month LGBTQIA+ History Month 1st - World Hijab Day 1st – UK Time to Talk Day 1st - 7th - World Interfaith Harmony Week 2nd - Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day 4th - World Cancer Day 5th - 11th – UK Race Equality Week 8th - Safer Internet Day 10th - Chinese (Lunar) New Year 11th - International Day of Women and Girls in Science 14th - St Valentines Day (Baptist) 20th - World Day of Social Justice 21st - International Mother Language Day 23rd - International Stand Up to Bullying Day 28th – Global Rare Disease Day

OUTREACH EVENTS Thank you to everybody who was involved in making these events possible: IF Oxford Science Festival - A huge thanks to Charlie Alsworth, Patrick Rennie, Dan Norhave, Kerrie-Anne Payne, Jonathan Heffer, Oli Lanestead, Ariana Kalavana, Raquel Tejera Hernandez, Philip Tzonev, Henry Cornish, and Ruta Marcinkeviciute, who supported this event.

Aylesbury High School Careers Fair 2023 - A shout out to Cath Dunleavey and Ahmed Mohamed Thahir Ali for volunteering.

I had a rewarding experience recently when I visited Aylesbury High School for an outreach event to encourage young girls to pursue STEM. I enjoyed engaging with the students and answering their simple yet tricky questions.

What stood out to me was the challenge of simplifying concepts and tailoring my responses to different age groups to hold their attention. It was great fun - Ahmed Mohamed Thahir Ali

😊

It’s really nice to see how you can spark an interest in aerodynamics in children of all ages – and parents sometimes! Our wind tunnel was very popular, and we had some children do multiple iterations of their aircraft design – based on our feedback – to improve their position on the leaderboard!

- Dan Norhave

UPCOMING EVENTS Did you know there is a rapid decline in interest for STEM by the age of 12?

And even earlier in girls. We want to keep young people inspired with outreach activities and keep that curious spark alive, but we need your help!

We are always looking out for volunteers for future outreach events! Also, if you can think of any outreach opportunities, like talks at schools or after school clubs, please think of us!

If you would like to participate or have an idea, please contact the ED&I Outreach Leads, Ruta Marcinkeviciute, at ruta.marcinkeviciute@reactionengines.co.uk and Peter Bates at peter.bates@reactionengines.co.uk

EMPLOYEE WORKING GROUPS Parents and Carers Working Group The Reaction Engines parents and carers focus group was created to provide a safe space to share thoughts and perspectives on how it feels to be a parent or caregiver at Reaction Engines. The focus group provides an informal setting to discuss the various challenges faced as a working parent or caregiver, specific to Reaction Engines, signpost internal and external sources of support, including policies, and work together to design solutions.

If you would be interested in joining the focus group, please reach out to Claire Farrow, Emma Panteli, or Ludovica Formisani.

IF OXFORD 2023

ED&I AFFILIATIONS

SUPPORT CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Call 0300 123 3393

Call 116 123

Visit adhdfoundation.org.uk/

Visit carersuk.org/

Advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, like depression and ADHD.

Confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing distress, despair, or suicidal thoughts.

A charity that with individuals, families, doctors, teachers and other agencies to improve understanding of all aspects of ADHD.

A charity with a mission to make life better for carers. they provide information and advice on caring, help carers connect with each other, and support in other ways.

FEEDBACK Knowledge is power, and together we can be powerful!

If you have any feedback on this newsletter, good or bad, we would like to listen and improve. This could be a question you have but are too afraid to ask, a topic you would like us to cover, a personal experience you want to share, or even a book or tv recommendation! We would love to hear it.

Simply write down your feedback on the below form, cut it out and pop it in the feedback box outside HR. You can keep it anonymous, or write your name, whatever you prefer, and we will do our best to answer you question or address your feedback.

Thank you, The Newsletter Team