“Rooting kindness in 2021: the year of the tree” | North East Byline

15/07/2021Opinion/ SEA Posted by Socialist Educational Association Some of the Byker Mutual Aid volunteers I have a friend who declares she is apolitical.  She is intelligent, well-read, always learning something, active in community groups and environmental campaigns.  Decisions are made that she does not agree with, yet she still declares she is not political? This outward projection …

Nigel Todd: In Dedication

Good Afternoon and Welcome. It is with mixed emotions that I welcome you all to our meeting here this afternoon, members and friends. This is the third meeting of our Socialist Educational Association North East branch and it is our first meeting since the unexpected and deeply saddening news two weeks ago of the passing …

Join The Unemployment Fightback – 27 February 2021

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/join-the-unemployment-fightback PEOPLE’S Assembly North East in partnership with Tyne & Wear County Association of Trades Councils and Durham Trades Council have just launched a short video campaign to highlight the impact of unemployment in the region. North-east England is facing a jobs crisis. Thousands of jobs have been lost, tens of thousands of people are …

On Making Lemonade

When I resigned my national and local  trade union roles with UCU last autumn I knew that there was more that I wanted to do.  I found myself with much more time but also with much more head space as the clouds of casework, campaigns, complaints, conciliations and confidences, cleared. My sky bluer,  I looked …

“Caravan of Care” 20 January 2020

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/supporting-memory-late-cllr-bernard-pidcock-caravan-care-convoy Supporting the memory of the late Cllr Bernard Pidcock with a ‘Caravan of Care’ convoy UCU activist ANYA COOK explains how young Labour members will be delivering humanitarian aid to Calais refugees, thanks to the assistance of a sterling local campaigner LAST January I was invited to Blythe Valley’s Constituency Labour Party meeting at …

“Universal Credit is an Oxymoron” 2 December 2019

Writing for the People’s Assembly: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/universal-credit-oxymoron Universal Credit is an oxymoron.  It is only universal if everyone can access it - but what if you don’t speak English or have access to the internet? I work at Newcastle College. On Wednesday last week I spent an hour — a whole hour — on the phone …

Engineering for Peace, Jobs and Climate Justice 9 November 2019

Leading workshop on 'Democratic Local Planning'.... ‘Democratic Local Planning’ is one of the four themes of the New Lucas Plan campaign. The Lucas Plan sets out a plan for human-centred, socially useful production within one organisation, but this approach can be used to produce plans for new jobs for one local area, but it can …

Love Newcastle Hate Racism Saturday 2 November 2019

Speaking for Newcastle Unites You can watch here - https://www.facebook.com/1332637355/posts/10220806533176473?sfns=mo Thank you for inviting me to speak. Racism, prejudice and intolerance have NO place in this city. I am proud to represent Newcastle Unites here today. I am proud to represent a community organisation that has equality at its core. We campaign against all forms …

“Women in Trade Unions” Bywell and Prudhoe Labour Branches’ Rally Saturday 26 October 2019

You can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/100000500624699/posts/2991364537556871?sfns=mo Thank you Brian and Dot for inviting me to speak today. “Women in Trade Unions” was a broad remit and left the door open for me to think what it was that I wanted to say within that. Newcastle University Business School run a series of events each year called Little Heresies …

Capitalism and Climate Change – 19 October 2019

I was asked very specifically to talk today about trade unions supporting school strikes. Thank you Alex, for inviting me to speak. UCU, University & College Union is the biggest trade union for education professionals in post-16 education in Europe. I ran a UCU stall at Jamie Driscoll’s ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ event in April this …