Blog post: Community membership, community volunteering

Community Union reps and members across the country play an active role in their local communities, including through volunteering. Jayne Wilkinson, who serves as a Union Learning Rep (ULR) and the Health and Safety Chair for the Oldbury AA section, is a proactive member of her local community in Sandwell, West Midlands.  Jayne shares her experiences here.

Over the course of many years since the early 1990’s, I’ve been an active engaging volunteer for various groups and organisations. I’ve had an opportunity to do many things including at one point becoming an elected councillor in the area I live – Sandwell in the West Midlands. This offered me a wealth of experience working with communities in an area of high deprivation and low-income households .

I’m currently a resident volunteer involved with my housing association Trident housing association (part of Trident Group Birmingham) and sit on its’ Homes & Community panel as a resident panel member, as well as most recently being invited onto the board as an associate member . The housing association celebrated it’s 60^th anniversary on 5^th July 2022 in which residents were encouraged to get involved in community activities. The ‘Trident Champions’ group was formed and we launched an event to encourage other like-minded residents to engage. For our first event I invited Tipton Litter Watch, local councillors and the constituency MP to attend. Joining forces with the volunteers from Tipton Litter Watch, we set out on a litter pick.

The idea behind Trident Champions is to try and build a community-focused neighbourhood with a sense of aspiration about the area, and to build confidence in achievement. The neighbourhood has a proud industrial heritage as part of the Black  Country, which was once a thriving hub of economic activities with high levels of employment. Like many other ex-industrial areas in the suburbs of cities, over the years the area has seen a decline in investment – although there are glimmers of hope, especially with the new West Midlands combined authority which could in time change the fortunes of Sandwell with new industries creating the new jobs that may restore our area’s local economy.

I’m trying to engage with residents by being a visible presence as well as work with local organisations and the local authority Sandwell Council to promote local initiatives; one being the Adopt A Street scheme. Lets hope I can inspire other residents as we move into 2024. The group will meet regularly once organised, and our residents will also be encouraged to engage with our housing association. It’s so important to influence and have a say on services provided as well as service provision in the housing sector.

Becoming a Community Union member definitely helped boost my confidence to get active in my local area. Being part of a union means joining a diverse cross-section of people who share the same commitment to fair play and improved outcomes for all; an attitude which is equally at the heart of volunteering. Being a union rep has also helped me with my interpersonal and communication skills – both of which are transferable to volunteering. It’s a real pleasure to engage with lots of different people as a rep, and the feeling of being able to provide practical support to colleagues is a real bonus. Just like volunteering, it’s about giving something back and working for the greater good, while finding confidence in your own voice along the way.