ur voice Yo Annual Report 2012 Yo t s u r r i g h Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres Who are we? ur voice Established in April 1983, the Derbyshire Unemployed Yo Workers’ Centres are a part of a much larger network of TUC Unemployed Workers’ Centres. We aim to build unity between employed and unemployed workers, and campaign for full employment with quality training and jobs and a benefits system that allows people to live in s Yo t good health and in dignity. u r r i g h What we Provide The Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres have gained a fine reputation for the services we provide. Our work is recognised locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. We provide advice, support and representation for all who come to us for help. However we don’t just wait for people to come to us, we proactively make our services Some of our fantastic volunteers at the 2012 TUC Poverty Conference. known to the hardest to reach and most vulnerable within our Each year we deal with over 9000 we lose the vast majority of our communities. enquiries at our Centres and volunteers to paid work – so it is outreach venues. We have with both joy and sadness that we recovered over £2.5 million in say goodbye to many of those lump sum payments and who have helped the organisation Contents increased weekly benefits for the deliver services in Derbyshire. people of Derbyshire. This money Who are we? 2 is vital both for the recipients but What we stand for… The Chairman writes also for the regeneration of the Graham Baxter 3 local economy. Money gained is l Provision of a voice for unemployed, underemployed Your Voice Your Rights! 4-6 mostly spent locally helping to preserve jobs and aid local and unwaged workers. Fundraising 7-8 businesses. l Provision of information Statistics 9 Our services are provided by a concerning the issues facing Chesterfield 10-11 few paid staff and a team of people on benefits and credits. Bolsover 12-13 volunteers across Chesterfield, l Campaigning on issues North East Derbyshire, Bolsover affecting unemployed people Amber Valley 13 and Amber Valley. We have been and related issues for the N.E. Derbyshire 14 successful in training volunteers whole community. from our communities many of Case Studies 10-14 l Provision of top quality, free whom move on into employment. advice and representation on User Feedback Survey 15 Seven of the volunteers featured all aspects of welfare benefits. Management Committee/ in a photograph in last year’s Where to get advice? 16 annual report have gone on to l Support for Trade Unions and find employment, the majority other bodies in their efforts to using their experience gained at save or create jobs. Front page photograph: Dennis Skinner MP and Natascha Engel MP launch the the Centre to work in the advice l Research and dissemination of Snakes and Ladders Climbing out of sector or in caring professions. information on issues affecting Poverty game in Shirebrook Market Place. Training is a costly business and employment and benefits issues. 2 The Chairman writes... These are difficult times for Suddenly your whole world people seeking help and changes and you look to the state representation from our for support. That support, a services. The constant recognition of our interdependence as human beings, should come as barrage of changes to the Graham Baxter, Leader of North East support for people out of of right – but increasingly people Derbyshire District Council. are made to feel they are a burden work, sick, disabled and government and the many local on the rest of society. Incomes are the low paid, means that people these policies affect. threatened and lessened. Some the Unemployed Workers’ politicians, ably assisted by a The unstinting work of the staff and Centres are needed now complicit media, put over the idea volunteers in our organisation is more than ever. Our that charity should replace state laid out in this report. I am proud workload continues to provision funded from taxation. of our achievements in such increase but the funding of difficult circumstances. As leader of This throwback to pre World War our services becomes ever North East Derbyshire District Two Britain is a dangerous path. Council, I know that the grant more difficult. You might think I paint a bleak given to the Centres has helped The competition for funding is picture or one that is no more than thousands of people challenge intense as the voluntary and scaremongering – but this year has decisions denying them support, community sector tries to react to seen the establishment of food has increased their income, and the onslaught on the most banks in Derbyshire. In such a rich given them a voice in an vulnerable in our society. Some country this is a national disgrace. increasingly hostile world. people may think they are immune The Derbyshire Unemployed The Derbyshire UWC’s must to these attacks but they should Workers’ Centres stands as a buffer continue their work and I ask all remember that ill health or between the increasingly punitive those reading this report to do disability can happen to anyone. legislation on sickness, disability, what they can to help in this All it takes is an accident or bad unemployment, housing and process. news at a visit to the doctors. council tax changes imposed by contracts. We The Co-ordinator writes... represent at Appeals tribunals Gordon Smith was the first co-ordinator of the and proactively Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres, and seek out the hard senior Welfare Rights Adviser. He would often say to reach in order that giving Welfare Rights advice without to maximise the addressing the issues that cause people to seek incomes of the help, support and representation is like sticking most vulnerable. plasters on a gaping wound. In other words, Our work in this alongside the necessary advice work provided by area is Colin Hampton receives the ‘David the Centres there needs to be vigorous work Lyons’ Community Activist Award from outstanding and carried out to lobby and campaign in the interests the GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny. acknowledged by (Photographs, with kind permission of those we represent and advise. politicians across from Andrew Ward ) The Centres receive funding and support from the spectrum. Local Authorities, Parish and Town Councils as well Our lobbying and campaigning work has always as many grant making bodies to provide the had a separate source of financial support, relying services to the people of Derbyshire. With that on supporters who contribute to the One Fund For money we have developed a network of Centres All and utilising a wide range of fund raising and outreach bases where we advise on benefits activities. In the recent past these have included related issues as well as on tax credits and issues workplace giving through payroll, fundraising facing people dealing with the Department of Work concerts and merchandising. Colin Hampton and Pensions and the agencies delivering their 3 Your Voice Your Rights! Too many snakes - not enough ladders In April 2012 we launched The event was covered by our ‘Snakes and Ladders Midlands TV as well as the local Climbing out of Poverty’ newspapers. Following the game and exhibition. The launch the game has been life size game was exhibited at schools, conferences, inspired by people festivals and galas in and around North Derbyshire as well as at involved in ‘Migrants national events. We were even Voice’ and ‘ATD Forth invited to take the game over to a World.’ European conference at the It is designed to show the many International Auditorium in difficulties a person faces in trying Brussels hosted by the European to get out of poverty into a Anti-Poverty Network (see page 7). sustainable full-time job with The amount of bookings and decent pay as well as the policies fantastic reception the game has and initiatives that can help. We had lead the Health Services to launched the game, which was Launch of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ purchase a second copy of the Cllr Anne Western helps out. financed by Bolsover Financial game and exhibition in order to Inclusion Project, in Shirebrook maximise its potential. The If you are holding an event where Market Place. Dennis Skinner MP Scottish Unemployed Workers’ you think the exhibition would be and Natascha Engel MP rolled the Centres have also purchased a useful in challenging perceptions first dice in front of a market day copy for north of the border. of poverty or giving guidance on crowd and local voluntary good practice – please get in organisations. touch to book the game. Don’t pay your workers - have some for free! DUWCs have been collecting evidence from the people contacting us following the introduction of the Government’s Work Programme initiatives. Cases of unemployed people recruits – at worst it being ruthlessly exploited by has been a employers using the scheme now replacement for come to our door. At best it has jobs that otherwise been used as a subsidised would have interview process, with groups of commanded a unemployed people working for wage. free while the employer has With Christmas chance to look at potential Protesters toured the town targeting business exploiting free looming we are ‘forced’ labour. 4 Welfare Reform Death Toll Rises! The Derbyshire ‘reform’ which aims to cut Unemployed Workers’ spending on benefits regardless Centres have been at the of the human cost. forefront in exposing the Given license by a public consequences of the opinion fed on a diet of stories treatment of people with of scroungers and lies about the health conditions by the level of benefit fraud, Department of Work and Governments have been piling Pensions and those on the agony.