Looking Back; Planning Ahead

Reviewing the year at our 2017 Black members AGM and putting plans in place for next twelve months

The South East Region Black Members AGM took place this year on 18 November at UNISON Centre in London. We took the opportunity to review our group’s work during the past year and started planning our activities for 2018.

We also undertook elections for the officer roles in the committee ( long with several other elected position) and are pleased to announce that Rosita Ellis (Oxfordshire Health) was appointed Chair and Judy Richards (Brighton & Hove Unitary) is Vice Chair, of the South East Region’s Black members committee.

Here’s just some of our achievements from the past twelve months:

  • the creation of a new Black members committee handbook
  • holding Black leadership training – motion writing, confidence building and
    presentation skills
  • mapping all the branch Black Self Organised Groups (SOGs) in the region
  • reestablishing the region’s Race Advisory Panel meetings (formally known as the Stephen Lawrence Working Group).

Our plans for 2018 include:

  • holding more dedicated Black History Month events in the South East region
  • organising a Black members forum
  • holding a Black members Network Day
  • continuing the process of mapping Black members SOGs
  • attend more carnivals, melas and other suitable events in the region
  • looking into increasing the participation of Black members in regional meetings & events
  • Producing more regular Black members newsletters.

If you’re a UNISON member who identifies as Black, we’d love for you to come along to one of our events. Meetings are held four times a year and gnerally last 3-4 hours. The location of the meetings alternates between Guildford and London. Children are welcome as crèche facilities can be provided if we’re informed in advance.

We also arrange a variety of guest speakers at our meetings and there are
opportunities for members to highlight topics or issues affecting the Black community.

Elected to the committee for 2018 were:

Rosita Ellis – Chair
Judy Richards – Vice Chair
Amit Alva
Beverley Sesay
Corrine Jack
Edwin Thomas
Ish Akhtar
Jabulani Sibanda
Jed Murray
Sandra Charles
Shanna Walters
Olusola Adejare
Tania Igbosi McGee
Trevor Beckford
Vanessa Henry-Steinfort