The first DWP Young Members Seminar was held in Birmingham last month. Saul Cahill, Deputy Chair of DWP Group YMAC, and a PCS Left Unity member on the DWP GEC, writes about the successful event.

I was really glad to have the opportunity to chair this event, which was organised by Group Young Members Officer Jo Pritchard in collaboration with the Young Members Advisory Committee and with the full backing of the Group President Angela Grant and other LU GEC members.

General Secretary, Fran Heathcote, opened the event and restated her commitment to young members and described her journey as an activist.

YMAC members were supported to deliver some of the seminar sessions for the first time, including one on Strategic Organising, and really showcased the ability of young reps and activists to take a leading role in organising and educating.

Ellen Clifford, from Disabled People Against the Cuts, spoke powerfully on the devastating impact both the previous and current government’s approach to ‘welfare reform’ had on disabled people and the broader population. Angela Grant spoke on how crucial it is for our group to maintain and build upon these relationships as we fight together for a fairer social security system. Delegates from across DWP have continued to feed in their insight into where our department fails as our group looks to build a vision for a fairer, more just, social security system.

Group Organiser, Mark Byers, led a session on the importance of building density to increase worker power and on some of the tools activists can use to motivate non-members to become members.

A Q&A with Martin Cavanagh, Angela Grant and National Young Members Committee Chair and Vice Chairs Louis Radforth and Simmeron Katbamna, explored the challenges facing our group in the year ahead, how young workers can be protected from bullying and harassment in work and more.

What was striking about the event was the variety of experiences of the delegates who attended and how, for many, this was the first PCS event they’d ever attended. It spoke to how important it is for young members to have the space to meet, develop and share experiences as well as the value of senior reps and activists helping to create these spaces and vocally showing their support as they have in our group.