It’s not just UNISON activists that support UNISON members where they work. Often the volunteers who represent you are in turn supported by branch administrators and other branch employed staff.
It’s these members of staff who are often the first port of call when you need guidance, offering basic advice and triaging casework, keeping membership records up-to-date and managing branch offices. It’s these tasks that help to keep our union functioning and our activists able to represent your interests.
But as well as providing support for our union, these members of staff can be active trade unionists and social justice campaigners in their own right.
Donna Abrahart is the long-serving branch administrator for UNISON Portsmouth City branch. As well as helping to keep one of the larger branches in the region on an even keel, for the last 25 years Donna has supported residents at the Portsmouth and District Friendly Society Homes (part of the The Almshouse Association). This charity works to guarantee that older residents have somewhere safe, decent, and affordable to live.
It’s for this work that Donna was recently awarded a Portsmouth City Council Civic Award at the recent Lord Mayor-making ceremony. This award was ratified by a cross selection of political, business and voluntary sector representatives. The leader of the Liberal Democrat council highlighted Donna’s charity work before the Civic Award was presented by the incoming Lord Mayor.
Here at UNISON, we’re very proud of Donna, both for her commitment to UNISON Portsmouth City branch and her achievements in the wider community. It’s great to see her hard work being recognised!
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