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www.citizensuk.org

promoting civil societyIn association with

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reweaving the fabric of society

Issue 1 July 2014

In this issue...

Hello and welcometo Citizens UK p2

The Road to 2015p6 and p7

Social Care Campaignbuilding momentum p3

Living Wage CampaignCitizens UK takes action p8

Why I’m involvedand making a difference p9

Citizens UK - the home of community organising in the UK. Building powerful communities that work together for the common good.

promoting civil societyIn association with

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Recently we found that you, our friends and members, were telling us that you wanted to know more about what’s happening across the Citizens UK movement. I hope that this bi-annual newsletter will help keep you up to date. As a convert to Twitter, I also recommend you follow @CitizensUK for real-time news about Citizens actions across the country. You will be amazed at the breadth of activity going on each week.

Our work to promote and strengthen civil society as a force to make democratic change has seen the tradition of public assembly revived. The front cover features Birmingham Citizens leader, Abdinasir Ahmed, from the city’s Somali community, giving testimony at their packed assembly. You can read about this year’s Citizens Assemblies, including Birmingham’s, here. There is also more about how the new Citizens UK Council plans to affect the 2015 General Election. Each CUK Chapter now has elected Delegates on the CUK Council. Over the last eighteen months they have shaped a ‘Manifesto for Civil Society’ and this will be launched over the summer.

In April this year we unified all our Chapters and Alliances to become one national charity, Citizens UK. I can now say we are a truly national charity, with Chapters across London, in Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Nottingham.

Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Citizens will found in October and we are building alliances in Leeds, Glasgow, Taunton, Manchester and the North East. We are also part of an international network of organising, learning and sharing with our colleagues across the world (USA , Canada, Germany and Australia), and have been lucky enough to both host and attend

events with the IAF and One Sweden, as well as train two groups from Hong Kong in the craft of organising.

With growth comes challenge, and in an ever tougher funding environment we are always looking to recruit new institutions and find new funding partners. We are lucky enough to have some wonderful supporters, including Aviva, who are not only an accredited Living Wage employer and principal partner, but also offer Citizens UK advice and practical help, including the design and print of this publication. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them and all our funders, friends and members on behalf of our new CUK Board of Trustees and the Guild of Organisers.

I look forward to working with you over the next year as together we build our power and relationships in anticipation of the next ‘Citizens Fourth Debate’ with the three Prime Ministerial candidates in early May 2015.

Neil Jameson Executive Director Citizens UK

2www.citizensuk.org Û Ü

Hello & welcome......to the first edition of our new Citizens UK update, another first in a year of development and growth. And fittingly so, as this year we celebrate our 25th Anniversary!

promoting civil societyIn association with

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Our campaign to improve Social Care, www.icareaboutcare.org.uk, is beginning to build momentum, and as a key proposal in the Citizens UK 2015 Manifesto, you will be hearing more about it in the coming months.

At some point in your life you, or a family member, will need social care. It seems everyone has a story about care in their family. Some stories are positive and there is good quality care work that we need to celebrate. But we hear story after story of worry, frustration and anger about poor quality care.

The Social Care Campaign is bringing together care recipients, families, care workers, providers and commissioners, united behind a common set of basic standards: the Social Care Charter. These standards include: continuity of care worker, proper training, Living Wage and pay for travel.

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North London Citizens member, Annemarie Anang explains: “All too often the care provided for my mum has been inconsistent and inadequate. This has ranged from careworkers not knowing how to help someone suffering from dementia, to care companies forgetting to send a carer. My mum has me to care for

her now. But I’m all too aware that not everyone has a loved one who can help when they are at their most vulnerable. That’s why we need to work together and make our concerns heard at the highest level, so no-one suffers the indignity of poor care or being put in a situation where it’s impossible to do a good job.” Read more about Annemarie and her mum here.

www.citizensuk.org Û Ü

#i care about care

Please take the time to share your

story here.

Read more about the campaign at

www.icareaboutcare.org.uk

#icareaboutcare

Annemarie Anang with her mum

Norman Lamb MP with care providers, recipients and commissioners at the Care in the Square tea party action.

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East London943 people attended assemblies in Hackney, Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets.

Wins included:

✓ Hackney Council to support the campaign for recognition of Alevism in their schools

✓ Birkbeck, University of London, to work with Newham Citizens and create a bespoke pilot programme

to train 30 local residents for health and social care professions

✓ Redbridge Council agreed to pay their directly employed care workers at least the London Living Wage

✓ Tower Hamlets Council to work with Citizens and housing association Poplar Harca to trial a ‘Living Rent’ model

Assemblies 2014

CardiffThe soon to be founded Cardiff Citizens and Vale of Glamorgan Citizens launched their #10,000 stories listening campaign to understand the concerns of their communities before launching an agenda of action in October 2014

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We are proud to be reviving the tradition of public assembly as a way of doing politics, negotiating with people in power and making progress with the business of our members.

Over 4,100 people attended a Citizens UK Assembly between March and May 2014. With so many members actively involved in staging these events across the Citizens network, we wanted to celebrate and share some of the highlights.

And now the hard work begins…...working with the newly elected and reappointed local politicians to help them deliver the pledges they made to us!

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North London 800 people attended assemblies in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Haringey and Islington.

Wins included:

✓ £1.1m pledged by Barnet Council to rebuild the Bravanese Community Centre

✓ A public deal with HS2 to create a Camden Citizens Charter guaranteeing jobs, training and housing for local people

✓ Police to donate 50 bikes each year for five years to support Haringey Citizens bike workshop scheme, with all profits used to fund the CitySafe campaign

✓ A commitment from Islington Council to help increase the number of Living Wage employers in the borough to 100, including at least five care providers

✓ Brent Council to attend a roundtable on how they can champion the Social Care Charter

South London1,273 people attended assemblies in Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Wandsworth.

Wins included:

✓ A commitment to make Croydon Council a Living Wage employer

✓ Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group to work with young people to co-design the Children and Adolescent’s Mental Health Service

✓ Lambeth Council to provide training to support our back to work campaign

✓ Agreement from Lewisham Council and Police to launch an independent commission into hate crime in the borough

✓ A commitment to find a suitable area for a community land trust development in Southwark

✓ Jane Ellison MP agreed to work with local care providers and host a Care Assembly in Wandsworth during November 2014

Birmingham

Milton keynes

CardilffThe vale ofGlamorgan

Nottingham

West London492 people attended assemblies in Ealing and Westminster.

Wins included:

✓ Ealing and Westminster Councils pledged to work with us to implement the Social Care Charter across their boroughs, but could not guarantee a Living Wage commitment for sub-contracted care workers

✓ Westminster Council agreed to work with us to tackle safety issues at an underpass

NottinghamHosted a Delegates Assembly, with 202 leaders representing 33 institutions pledging to work together on five campaigns:

1 Supporting homeless 16 and 17 year olds

2 Job creation in the city

3 Living Wage for retail and universities

4 Social Care

5 Hate Crime Commission

Birmingham429 people attended the Birmingham Assembly.

Wins included:

✓ A pledge from the Clinical Commissioning Group Chair for a world class mental health service for young people, including an interim service for 16 and 17 year olds. Read more here

✓ Backing from the Police Commissioner to pilot the CitySafe scheme in Birmingham

Milton Keynes 260 people attended the Milton Keynes Assembly.

Wins included:

✓ A pledge to see the council pay directly employed staff at least the Living Wage from April 2015

✓ Agreement to attend a presentation from our students on cyber safety and discuss what the Council can do to help raise awareness of the issue

North London

South London

West London

East London

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Citizens UK exists to promote civil society. We believe that public life should be occupied not just by celebrities and politicians – but also by everyday ‘organised’ people, demanding part of the action.

So, just as the political parties are building their manifestos for next year’s General Election, Citizens UK has spent the last 12 months preparing a ‘Manifesto for Civil Society’.

Citizens UK Council Co-Chair Charlotte Wood: “First we listened to what matters to our member communities. Then we held workshops to address the common themes they identified, inviting sector specialists to help us shape each one into a manifesto proposal.”

The proposals are true reflections of the issues that matter in our communities. By bringing them to the attention of people in power and those that vote for them, we can make real change happen.

We know this process works: thanks to your actions before the 2010 election, and the cooperation of the coalition Government since, many of the proposals we put forward then have now been carried out. These include: a cap on the cost of credit, Britain’s first urban Community Land Trust, recognition of our Living Wage Campaign, and an end to the use of immigration detention centres for children.

As the 2015 election approaches, we need to start taking our new manifesto proposals to local MP candidates, to our places of worship and education, and ultimately to the polling stations.

The proposals:1 Improved social care

2 Better public health

3 More permanently affordable housing

4 Restore the UK’s reputation as a place of sanctuary

5 Improve employment and training opportunities

6 Make financial institutions work for our communities

7 Promote the Living Wage as the norm for good employers

The Road to 2015 creating a manifesto for civil society

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reweaving the fabric of society

l Would people in your institution be interested in getting involved with the General Election campaign?

l Could you host a training session in your area so we can build a diverse team, get out there and act?

Contact Citizens UK’s Tom Henderson, to find out more: tom.henderson@citizensuk.org.uk t: 0207 043 9881

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Citizens UK leader, Barbara Nalumu

“We led the

campaign to end the

detention of children

for immigration

purposes because it

directly affected our

communities. At the start of the campaign

in 2009, 30 families from my own Ugandan

community were in detention – today

there are none.”

Case studyCase study

In 2010 we asked the political party leaders to pledge to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. Earlier this year we celebrated as the Immigration Act was passed, making this proposal law. Thanks to our campaign, whilst in 2009, 1,119 children entered detention centres such as Yarl’s Wood, in 2013 just eight children were detained in such centres (and then released

following age assessments), 103 were held briefly on arrival at the border, and 91 were held at the family-friendly centre, The Cedars, for very short periods before leaving the UK. www.citizensuk.org/2014/06/end-to-child-detention-written-into-uk-law

The Cedars.

Citizens UK’s General Election Assembly, May 2010, saw the three party leaders address members and respond to the ‘People’s Manifesto’.

Living Wage CampaignWith over half the families living in poverty being in-work, it’s no surprise that low pay remains on the Citizens agenda across the UK, unifying communities to act together and challenge local businesses and organisations to become accredited Living Wage employers.

Citizens UK actions have been happening up and down the country: Father Michael Brown, Nottingham Citizens, led a delegation to the Next AGM in May, asking them to lead the retail sector in tackling low pay by becoming the first major retailer to be accredited.

Bluebirds for a Living Wage Cardiff Citizens football action.

Islington and Cardiff Citizens targeted the top and bottom of the Football Premier League, challenging their teams, Arsenal and Cardiff City to be the first football clubs to accredit as Living Wage employers.

Lambeth Citizens celebrated an important victory, as ITV became the first national broadcaster to be accredited. The team is now focussing their efforts on other high profile employers on London’s prestigious South Bank.

Children from Haringey Citizens’ Willow Primary School said a big thank you to Homes for Haringey as they presented them with their Accredited Employer plaque.

Living Wage Foundation News:Over 750 organisations are now accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, an initiative of Citizens UK, as Living Wage employers.

High profile sign-ups during 2014 have so far included Nationwide, Clear Channel, Nestle and the National Audit Office.

Earlier this year Aviva, an early supporter of the campaign, and principle partner of the Foundation, cemented their commitment to tackling in-work poverty. Read about their journey here.

Christine Deputy, Group HR Director, Aviva, said:

“Paying the Living Wage is absolutely the right thing to do for our people, our business and the communities we are part of. We have paid the London Living Wage since 2006 when it first came into practice, in 2012 we paid UK Living Wage to all our permanent UK employees, and now we’re extending this throughout the UK to include our subcontracted workforce. I am pleased to say this now completes the fulfilment of our long term commitment to the Living Wage.”

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l Help us celebrate accredited Living Wage employers.

If you spot the Living Wage employer mark or use the services of a Living Wage accredited employer, tweet a picture to @LivingWageUK.

You can find the list of accredited employers at www.livingwage.org.uk/employers

I’m a Spurs girl, so taking part in an action to deliver hundreds of letters to Tottenham Hotspur asking them to pay the Living Wage was an important and proud moment. I will be an even prouder fan when they pay!

It’s great to be part of an organisation that supports us to make change. Lots of groups do a lot of talking, with Citizens we listen, talk, and build power to act.

My background is in nursing, so I have a special interest in the Social Care Campaign. I think it’s important we care for care workers, starting with the Living Wage. BUPA spoke at the launch of the campaign, and I want to see them introduce the Living Wage to their staff.

Susan GreavesSt Stephens and St Nicholas Church, Manor Park, Newham, East London

Joyce ThipaCalvary Family Church, Basford, Nottingham

The first time our voice was heard! We have been operating the church for over six years, and had reported issues of crime and abuse against us to authorities, but had no feedback let alone assistance. Since joining Nottingham Citizens we’ve been listened to, the Police have even attended our church to talk face to face.

We held an Assembly with the Police and Crime Commissioner candidates in 2012. We put specific asks to them, and had commitments made publicly to us. It helped me decide who to vote for. We can hold them to account on their promises. I am looking forward to doing something similar with our MP candidates for the General Election.

Now we collaborate with a diverse group of people; we didn’t have that exposure to diversity before. Personally, I co-chaired a Nottingham Citizens AGM. It was awesome, a great experience. I would encourage other faith and community groups to join. You benefit in a big way.

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Why I’m involved......our members explain what they enjoy about their work with Citizens UK.

What’s your proudestCitizens moment?

What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?

What’s the impact of membership been on you and your institution?

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Q

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Contact us: ☎ @ #With thanks to Aviva for their support in producing this newsletter.

For further information about Citizens UK please follow us at:

l @CitizensUK

l #cuknews

l www.citizensuk.org

l 0207 043 9881

Here are some simple ways you can take action and help support the work of Citizens UK.

@ Pass me on! We want each copy of this newsletter to be read by at least five people – please sign below and pass on to a friend or colleague.

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Tweet a picture to @CitizensUK showing us where

you are reading this newsletter. Let’s see where in the world we can reach…

Join us! Is your institution a member of Citizens UK? If you would like to find out more email tom.henderson@citizensuk.org.uk or call 0207 043 9881

You can help us build a new generation of civic leaders prepared to act together for the common good. Please donate at www.justgiving.com/CitizensUK

Citizens UK is the home of Community Organising in the United Kingdom.

Citizens UK started life in the early 1990s when, having attended Community Organising training in the USA, Neil Jameson was inspired to build an alliance of civil society organisations in the UK. Following several years of patient relationship building The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO) was launched in 1996 at a public Assembly of community leaders from over 30 east London organisations. Since this first Assembly, the success of TELCO and the Community Organising model has led to Citizens alliances forming across London and beyond in Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Birmingham and Cardiff. Today, these local alliances bring together over 300 member organisations that represent the diversity and interests of civil society in the United Kingdom.

These alliances affiliate to Citizens UK, the home of Community Organising in the UK, which has a strong track record of working with diverse civil society organisations for the common good. We train local community leaders in the principles of Community Organising so that with their neighbours they have the power to challenge politicians, councils, and businesses.

Community Organising is based on the principle that when people work together they have the power to change their neighbourhoods, cities, and ultimately the country for the better. We work with people who want to transform the world, from what it is to what they believe it should be. To do this we listen to our members, asking them about their concerns and developing strategies to improve our communities. We ensure that civil society is at the negotiating table alongside the market and state, so that our communities are included in the decisions that affect them.

We work in local chapters and campaign teams. Find out more about what we do at: www.citizensuk.org

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