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Newsletter for the GMB North West & Irish Region Reach Out Project.
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Issue 6 CWAC
ULR Forum
Andy Rowlands
Streets
Ahead at Warrington
Learning Hubs
QR Codes GMB ULR
Celebration
(continued inside)
On 18th October the Reach Out
project celebrated another significant
milestone when the Chief Executive of
Cheshire West and Chester Council
(CWAC), Steve Robinson formally
committed the Council to a learning
agreement developed by GMB ULRs
in association with their Unite and
U n i s o n c o l l e a g u e s .
The Council is a new single authority
created by the merging of Ellesmere
Port and Neston with the districts of
Chester and Vale Royal. Like other
local authorities the new Council has
had to contend with substantial cuts
in funding for local government.
Desp i te these p ressu res o f
restructuring and reorganisation the
ULRs have worked tirelessly to get the
learning agreement in place. The fact
that the learning agreement has now
been signed is testimony to the ULRs’
effect iveness and powers of
Collective Win At Chester
CWAC Continued
September witnessed another successful GMB ULR Forum, held at the Preston office. It was good to see new faces and old friends at the event which covered topics from funding to digital inclusion and explored the problems facing learning at work projects across the region due to the recession.
The lively discussions led to some great ideas being shared. We will be building on those ideas and exploring them further in due course.
First time attendee, Christine Regan from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital said,
“It was refreshing to find out that some of the struggles we have with our members and staff within the NHS are similar to those experienced by other sectors. I hope the feedback we gave will help inform future bids for ULF funding.”
Attendance at these events is a great way of networking with other ULRs and discussing openly the challenges you might face as well as finding solutions that have worked for others.
Keep your eye on the website or your e-mail for the date of the GMB ULR Forums in 2012.
persuasion in stating the case for investing in the training and development of GMB colleagues
Dawn Sweeney, lead ULR, “Learning can be an exciting process that changes lives; it can be the route to feeling good. To being able to do things well and to making life and the world around you a better place. That’s what makes the role of the ULR challenging and worthwhile. “
Barbara Griffiths, GMB ULR, “I wanted to progress at work and needed to fill gaps in my learning but had to find my own way. I became a ULR to help my colleagues by supporting and signposting them to their best advantage. Equality is one of the guiding principles of all trade unions, helping individuals access learning, whether at work or outside of work is one of the ways ULRs c a n a d d r e s s i n e q u a l i t i e s . T h e i r initial help empowers many to pursue their o w n l e a r n i n g p r o g r e s s i o n and careers; it is the trigger to pursuing interests or hopes, when previous experience has taught them that if learning was the route t h e n i t w a s n ’ t f o r t h e m . ”
Dahlia Roslan, Unison ULR, “As English is not my first language, I had a fear of interaction. This fear stopped me wanting to do anything. CWAC has given me the opportunity to move to a supervisory role; in this role I have developed passion and patience to provide guidance. The ULR role has boosted my self esteem and confidence that I need to promote learning. It’s been a
in the workforce.
pleasure to help others and see how they progress; i t m e a n s a l o t t o m e . ”
Matt Bowe, Reach Out Project Worker, “ULRs
supported through local Trade Union Branches have
worked long and hard with the authority to produce
this agreement that will enable all employees’ access
to learning, which meets their needs and the needs
of the authority. With the partnership of CWAC the
Trade Unions, and Providers the council has a
fantastic opportunity through learning and
development to achieve outstanding services to the
communities they serve.”
As further recognition
of the work they
have done in the
community Barbara
and Dahlia recently
received an award
from UnionLearn
(pictured).
Prize Draw The GMB ULR Christmas Prize
Draw took place on 21 December.
The winners are:
Barbara Griffiths - Amazon Kindle
Paul Hindle - E-Photo Frame
Lyndsay Haselden - Bottle of wine
Alan Williams - Box of biscuits
Andy Rowlands - YODEL
Warrington Learner is Streets Ahead
One thing after another
I became a ULR in November 2010 after speaking to Dave Flanagan from GMB Reach Out. I had contacted Dave after seeing the Reach Out magazine while on a GMB course and we organised a meeting at the then DHL site at Risley. At the time we (transport) were under consultation for a proposed TUPE to Yodel Ltd. Our sister company PPL had undergone TUPE 12 months earlier.
We arranged several meetings with management and the Reach Out team brought the “Learning Bus” onsite so that we could sign members up for skills for life courses. As we were preparing for this training to start, the company dropped a bomb shell on us by informing us that the Risley hub would be closing and that all PPL staff were at risk of redundancy.
Dave and I had an emergency meeting and the result was that our staff training had now become a response to redundancy situation. The speed in which the Reach Out project responded was inspiring. We arranged meetings with managers and agreed 2 hrs paid release per shift for staff to
train in ITQ level 1. The tutors, Mel and Pete from St Antony’s Centre, worked nights and Mel even cancelled her holidays to ensure everybody got through their ITQ.
On the 22nd July 2011 32 members left the company with ITQ level 1 qualifications and 4 members left with ITQ level 2 qualifications.
If I hadn’t picked up that magazine and become a ULR, and the Reach Out project hadn’t been in place then these people (some of whom had been with the company for over 20 years) would have left with nothing.
The employees still in employment in the
Transport Section have now also gone through
TUPE to become YODEL employees. I have been
given the position of National GMB ULR
Coordinator and I am in the process of
promoting skills for life courses across the country
with the help and mentoring of the Reach Out
project.
Denis Ashton, GMB ULR at Warrington Borough Council sent in this article about how ULR activity is helping colleagues with their learning.
GMB Member and Street Scene employee Jason Jones, pictured here receiving his Certificate for Learner of the Year, is proof of the impact and benefit of the work undertaken by Union Learner Representatives at W a r r i n g t o n B o r o u g h C o u n c i l .
Jason's story started when he attended a Union run learning awareness day in 2010 at the Hawthorne Avenue depot. He spoke to his Union Learner Reps (ULRs) about assistance with his English and Maths. After a short assessment ULRs helped Jason get on to a Skills for Life course at Warrington Collegiate. His tutors found that Jason is dyslexic and provided a bespoke learning programme which has seen him go from s t r e n g t h t o s t r e n g t h .
Jason commented: When I first went to the Collegiate, I was very nervous and shy. Since I have been going I have enjoyed learning Maths,
English, working on the computer, writing letters, sending emails and much more. I love doing my homework and can't wait for the next class. It has encouraged me to join my local library to help with my reading. I have more confidence and enjoy learning things every week. The tutors are fantastic and dedicated to helping people like me. With my new found confidence I am now waiting to start my NVQ Level 2 which I would never have dreamt of doing a few years ago.
The ULR activity at Warrington continues to be supported by the GMB Reach Out team.
Project Worker Pete Callaghan said: It's fantastic to hear Jason's story and it just goes to highlight the great work all the ULRs are doing within the Council.
Stay up to date with the latest union learning news from around the GMB North West & Irish Region by subscribing to the E-newsletter.
Visit www.gmbreachout.org.uk/enews.php
to receive it directly to your e-mail.
Greater Manchester & Cheshire St Antony’s Centre
Eleventh Street Trafford Park Manchester
M17 1JF
T: 0161 877 9439 F: 0161 872 9480
Matt Bowe 07740 804056 [email protected]
Merseyside
Pete Callaghan 07872 010857 [email protected]
Lancashire The ACT Centre
25 Warner Street Accrington Lancashire BB5 1HN
T: 01254 238 443
Dave Flanagan: 07740 804050 [email protected]
w: www.gmbreachout.org.uk
Contract Manager
Paul Callaghan 0161 848 9173
Project Manager
Kevin Flanagan 07740 804042
www.gmbreachout.org.uk
GMB Reach Out
contact details
GMB Reach Out Learning Hubs
Three new GMB Reach Out Learning Hubs are now open.
The Centres are based at existing GMB offices and will be hosting a variety of courses to help members, their
colleagues and their communities.
The three new learning hubs are located at:
Oldham : 108 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1DU
Preston: The Textile Centre, 6 Sedgwick Street, Preston PR1 1TU
Liverpool: Regional Office, Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, L3 4GB
Two Community Hubs exist in Trafford Park and Accrington:
St Antony’s Centre, Eleventh Street, Trafford Park
M17 1JF
The Accrington Community Training (ACT) Centre, 25 Warner Street, Accrington BB5 1HN
For more details about upcoming events and courses
contact the Reach Out Team
Have you seen one of these before? Ever wondered what they are?
These are called QR Codes and by scanning them with a smartphone you can visit webpages, enter competitions and much more. You may even have noticed them on television programmes.
Scan this code or ask a colleague to show you how and see where you end up!!
QR Codes
GMB ULR Celebration
Thursday 1st March 2012 , 6pm - 9pm Malmaison Hotel, Manchester
Celebrate with ULRs, training providers and learners from across the North West at this special event.
Put the date in your diary and keep an eye on our website or your e-mail for more details
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