Hi all,

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

 Due to the current crisis we have cancelled all our courses until at least the end of May.

If you have new stewards or if you are a new steward, there are online courses available please follow this link: https://www.tuceducation.org.uk/

The TUC will be offering online stewards course, with the next online course due to start on 20^th April, and the TUC are looking to offer a further online course in May or June depending on demand. 

Unison has recently started a Women's Lives course in Kirkby

“Keep the courses going, they are brilliant!”

A group of 10 UNISON members came together last Friday to take part in our workshop 'Power to be You' which looks at members' perceptions of confidence and strategies to appear and feel more confident in a range of scenarios.

All feedback from members was very positive. Members included a new ULR and a new steward, alongside existing members looking to gain new skills to help both in the workplace and in the union.

Further workshops in the region include: a Power to be You taster workshop organised by Bolton women's committee; a Power to be You workshop for employees of Sodexo at South Manchester General Hospital; and a Your skills Your Future workshop organised by Central Lancashire Health branch. Contact Tom at the regional office for further details.

Wirral Lifelong Services, in partnership with Wirral UNISON, celebrated the achievements of thousands of adult learners who have taken part in courses and developed skills for the workplace, for potential future careers, or simply for the fun of learning. Awards were given to nominated people including all of our own UNISON learners who have taken part in courses organised by the union.

The day was organised by UNISON lifelong learning coordinator Dave Hardcastle with support from his colleagues in lifelong learning services and the UNISON branch. Cakes and refreshments were supplied courtesy of the Inclusive Learning Project  (Union Learning Fund) which supports lifelong learning through the unions.

Our UNISON courses have helped to develop potential new activists in the union, in particular through development as union learning reps who help to advocate and shape learning in the workplace. New learner rep Carol Munns received a lifetime achievement award for her efforts to progress from a book club attendee through to her appointment in Wirral libraries where she now runs the book groups as a part of her wider role. Carol completed learning rep training alongside 9 other new reps back in March.

Photographs courtesy of Paul Wiggins

UNISON rep Dave Hardcastle receives an award from the mayor for all his work supporting learners

UNISON learning organiser Tom talks about how UNISON supports lifelong learning

UNISON officer Paul Wiggins

Some of the learners receiving their awards

Members from the Manchester and Liverpool areas celebrated their successful completion of 'Return to Learn' with awards presented by UNISON Regional Secretary Kevan Nelson.

Kevan shared a unique story of a Stockport based member who, ten years ago, completed the Return to Learn course which was the start of a learning journey which culminated in her election as an MP. Kevan explained how delighted we are as a union to offer this course in partnership with the WEA and that it's great if members wish to end their journey here. But it also opens up new opportunities to explore further study with lifelong learning services, local colleges and universities.

And, in the case of new UNISON learning reps June and Linda, further possibilities for active union membership. June completed Return to Learn and the stage 1 and 2 ULR course and now plans to go to national conference and become active in the various lay bodies of UNISON.

"I enjoyed Return to Learn from start to finish: all the women in the group bonded and were supportive of each other, particularly early on during a personal descriptive writing session", says June.

To promote Return to Learn in your branch, please let Tom Jenkins at the Regional Centre know and we can discuss promotion of the course.

A group of UNISON members working in schools, teaching assistants, came to the Regional Centre over half term and took part in a Makaton training session followed by a 'lunch and learn'.

UNISON in the North West is aiming to improve the 'schools offer' for the Autumn term when we will be looking at hosting further training for our schools members, the biggest section in the union.

Over 20 UNISON members benefitted from this popular taster workshop, promoting deaf awareness in the workplace and up-skilling members with techniques to support deaf customers, service users and staff.

Tutor Dipti from the Manchester Deaf Centre delivered 2 workshops, 3 hours each to members from UNISON branches in the Merseyside area, and from as far afield as Blackpool Hospital - who plan to book the tutor in for a session at the hospital this year.

Here are some quotes from members who have taken up the Reading Ahead Challenge, supported by UNISON ULRs. Thank you to Ya Ching and others for supporting Reading Ahead at Merseytravel branch.

Emma Hurst Says: 

“Reading gives me a chance to be in a different world on the train on the way to work. It can lift or lower my mood depending on the story. Great Expectations transported me to Victorian England.

I first did the reading challenge 3 years ago and before that I didn’t read at all. So, the challenge has helped me to find out about different genres from colleagues and I have discovered that ‘Medical Thriller’ is my genre.  I would never have even known that ‘Medical Thriller’ was a genre without the challenge.

“Reading is something which I am doing to fill time; mainly during my journey to work or whilst the kids are playing. Perhaps if my interest in books grows, so will the importance and significance of reading.

Being able to switch off during my journey to work is definitely more relaxing than reading the Metro or looking out the window wishing the traffic would move faster. I’ve also noticed with a couple of books when I’ve wanted to know what will happen next, that I’ve made time to sit and read at home.

As someone who barely read books, probably one every couple of years, I have definitely started reading more since starting the challenge. I couldn’t say that I am reading different types of books because at the minute I’m just picking out books from the book shelf near the printers; some I enjoy and others I don’t. I guess the more I read the more I will pick books of a type which I’ve previously enjoyed, as opposed to reading different types of books.

It is still very early days in my reading to recommend anything. And, having read a couple of quick reads which were so bad that I can’t believe the author thought they were worthy of writing let alone getting published, it’s clear that peoples’ idea of a good read is a very personal thing.”

“I definitely join the Reading challenge gain. I have continued to read after submitting my reading diary for this year’s challenge so hopefully I will still be reading on a regular basis next year and therefore may as well take part. If my reading has died off, the reading challenge will be a good opportunity for me to start again.”

For help setting up the challenge in your area, take a look at the guide here

And contact us at the regional office for further support.