Does your branch have a plan for recruiting and developing young activists?
Encouraging young members to get involved is important for UNISON’s long-term success, so in November 2020 we surveyed UNISON’s young members to ask about their involvement in the union.
Based on their responses, our report “Getting Active in UNISON” makes some recommendations to branches who want a plan to engage more young members in their work.
We suggest:
- Personal contact is really important – make sure new workers are being asked to join, and invited to participate in UNISON events;
- Young members can sometimes feel anxious or intimidated because they don’t know what to expect, so try and make meetings as accessible as possible;
- Young Black, women and LGBT+ members can sometimes feel more worried about getting involved, so branch Self-Organised Groups have a role to play in making sure the branch is truly inclusive;
- Buddying and mentoring arrangements can help give new activists the support and encouragement they need;
- Communication is key – make sure branch emails and social media let everyone in the branch know what is going on;
- Young members are particularly enthusiastic about UNISON’s learning and educational activities, so think about promoting these to young members.
