On a sunny weekend in July branch officers Verity Fouracres, Sophie Leather, Alex Tissandier, and Eleni Vagia travelled to Croyde Bay to take part in UNISON South West’s annual Branch Officers training weekend.
It was a great opportunity to make connections with other reps from the region, and come away with some fresh ideas for the branch!
Alex’s Communications officer training
My communications officer training session included officers from a wide range of branches in the region, including the police. It was a good reminder of how diverse our union is, which is a great advantage but also presents some challenges!
There were some lively discussions about not just the role of a communications officer, but the role of union branches in standing up to their employers and being willing to take action.
I felt a real sense of pride to be part of a branch that is willing to actively campaign and stand up for important issues.
Verity’s Women’s officer training
I really enjoyed the Women’s Officer training – we had a group of 10 of us from a range of backgrounds, and it was so interesting to hear about others’ experiences in different workplaces and jobs. We spent time learning about what our role is as Women’s Officer and how we can best support our members to effect change in their workplace, as well as practicing putting a campaign together.
Discussing how to ensure our campaigns and communications remain inclusive was a highlight following the recent EHRC guidance on single-sex spaces, and I remain committed to fighting for the dignity and safety of all of our branch members who identify as women. I feel fired up and really looking forward to putting my learning into practice!
Sophie’s Membership officer training
This was the first membership officer training UNISON has run, so it was a great chance to meet other membership officers and exchange ideas on recruitment, retention and how to become a more active branch. We also learned about mapping a branch which will help us better understand our membership and identify opportunities for engagement.
It was really rewarding to share the work of our branch, as other membership officers were impressed by how active we are, from ballot successes to our wonderful team of workplace contacts and the rapid growth of our branch in the last 3 years. The training left me feeling energised and gave me lots of ideas to take forward in the coming year.
