Category: Black Members’ Group

Black History Month event at Southend Borough Council – Tuesday 23rd October, 12:30 – 2:00pm

Announcement graphic reading: “Join us for an event to celebrate Black British History. Speakers, stalls, refreshments, live jazz. Tuesday 23rd October, 12:30 – 2:00pm. Southend Borough Council, First Floor Foyer, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6ER.” Black History 365, UNISON Southend-on-Sea and Southend Borough Council logos are displayed beneath.

Photographs showing guest speaker Josephine Melville (left) and Southend UNISON stall (right) at this year’s Black History Month event at Southend Borough Council.
Guest speaker Josephine Melville (left) and Southend UNISON stall (right) at this year’s Black History Month event at Southend Borough Council.

Photographs by Louise McDermott (President, Southend UNISON)

Photographs showing Sam Adams (LGBT+ Support Officer) and guest speaker Josephine Melville (left) and Pekance Tani (Social Worker, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council) and Pam Drever (Retired Members’ Officer) on Southend UNISON stall (right) at this year’s Black History Month event at Southend Borough Council.
Sam Adams (LGBT+ Support Officer) and guest speaker Josephine Melville (left) and Pekance Tani (Social Worker, SBC) and Pam Drever (Retired Members’ Officer) on Southend UNISON stall (right) at this year’s Black History Month event at Southend Borough Council.

Photographs by Kate Stafford (Local Organiser, UNISON Eastern)

Join us for an event to celebrate Black British History including speakers, refreshments, live jazz music and stalls from groups including UNISON Black Members.

WHERE: Southend Borough Council, First Floor Foyer, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6ER
WHEN: Tuesday 23rd October, 12:30 – 2:00pm

EVENT PROGRAMME

12:30 pm

Welcome by Niki Mistry
(Southend-on-Sea Borough Council BAME Forum Chair)

Speakers:

Emma Cooney
(Forum Sponsor and Director of Regeneration & Business Development)

Tim Roberts
(UNISON Eastern Region)

Ranjit Singh Rana
(Equality & Diversity Consultant)
Equalities: Progress on Equality Law and the Future

Mike Meehan
(Community Engagement Worker – Dementia)
The Impact of Dementia on Southend’s African/Caribbean Community

13:00 pm

Entertainment from jazz singer Dawnette Fessey – and a chance to chat and socialise!

EVERYONE WELCOME, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

Black History Month, UNISON’s Eastern Region Black Members’ Group and Black Members’ Conference

UNISON’s Eastern Region Black Members’ Group

Dear Members,

Black History Month during October is a time to celebrate achievements of Black people throughout history. Black History, and Black British History in particular, is often marginalised.

Black History Month is a key time to acknowledge achievements and provides an opportunity to discuss wider issues affecting the Black community.

This year on Tuesday 23rd of October Southend UNISON will be putting together a Black History event with Southend Borough Council.

More details to follow soon…

UNISON’s Eastern Region Black Members’ Group campaigns for equality in the workplace and the wider community and meets 4 times a year.

All workers may face problems relating to pay, terms and conditions, restructures, disciplinaries etc. However Black members are also at risk of experiencing another layer of problems relating to racism and discrimination.

The group considers how more Black workers can be recruited into UNISON and how more Black UNISON members can become active in their union. We also look at what the union can do to tackle the causes and effects of discrimination. The meetings are relaxed but informative and well attended.

Southend UNISON members can contact the Branch Office and Gloria Lawton (Junior Vice President, Southend UNISON) about becoming a branch delegate and to discuss any issues that might arise in their workplace or contact Winston Dorsett (Regional Organiser, Eastern Region Black Members’ Group) for more information about getting involved with the Eastern Region Black Members’ Group.

Eastern Region Black Members’ Group contact:
Winston Dorsett | W.Dorsett@unison.co.uk
Church Lane House, Church Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1NH
Telephone: 01245 608 913

There is also the annual Black Members’ Conference in January. This is the largest gathering of Black trade union members in Europe and is always an informative and uplifting event. For more information about attending please read this post.

Kind regards,

Gloria Lawton
Junior Vice President