UNISON Worcestershire

06/10/2026

Reclaim the Night is back for 2026! But what is Reclaim the Night? Here’s what you need to know.

Reclaim the Night is a grassroots annual community movement that fights for an end to gender-based violence, sexual harassment and for the right for women and marginalised genders to safely walk in public spaces at night. The movement started in Leeds in the 1970s with a march as a response to consistent institutional victim blaming in sexual violence cases, where the police narrative would tell women to stay indoors, amend their behaviour and curb their lifestyles rather than holding perpetrators to account. This then inspired an international movement including “Take Back the Night” in the US.

In 2018 the first event was held in Worcester, organised by the Women’s Equality Party. The event has been running annually ever since (with an online event during COVID). In 2019 other local organisations providing support services to women experiencing male violence got involved to help organise the event and continue to do so. The event organisers include West Mercia R**e & Sexual Abuse Support Centre, West Mercia Women’s Aid and Out2Gether, and we are proud to be supported by the University of Worcester, Unite, Unison and the TUC.

Today, frustratingly, we are still fighting for the same things, and against the same narrative where victims are dragged through the courts over their clothing, the route they walked, how much they’d been drinking, even their sexual history. This narrative seeks to shift the responsibility for sexual violence and harassment onto the victim (hence the term “victim blaming”) and away from the perpetrators of the crimes. We believe that the only way we have a shot at ending gender-based violence is to clearly and consistently place the responsibility at the feet of the people committing the crimes, and to challenge the behaviours that feed into these narratives (such as cat-calling and other seemingly innocuous actions that come from a place of entitlement and seek to intimidate thereby reinforcing a power imbalance).

The event is women-led, and we encourage and welcome all allies to attend. As the concept of silence equalling complicity becomes more prevalent, especially in the current media, we are asking you to speak up, to join us and to proudly show you stand against violence against women and children.

06/10/2026

Circle of Hope - GR&T Support Group

06/10/2026

Reclaim the Night - Thursday 26th November 2026 - Meeting at 6pm outside Boston Tea Party, Worcester

04/10/2026

04/10/2026

03/10/2026

UNISON Worcestershire Branch at the 2026 Organising Convention

A fantastic day for UNISON Worcestershire Branch at the UNISON 2026 Organising Convention, held in Birmingham on Saturday 3 October 2026.

Branch Secretary Andy and Asst. Branch Secretary Matthew attended the event alongside Worcestershire Branch members Nancy and former Equalities Officer Jin, proudly representing our branch.

The convention provided an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues from UNISON branches across the West Midlands, share ideas, and take part in a range of engaging workshops focused on strengthening organising and activism within our union.

It was also a pleasure to meet UNISON General Secretary Andrea, and hear from two inspiring keynote speakers: the UNISON General Secretary and TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Stuart, both of whom delivered insightful and motivating messages about the future of our movement.

Overall, it was a fantastic event, packed with learning, networking, and opportunities to connect with fellow activists. We look forward to bringing back new ideas and experiences to support our members across Worcestershire.

30/09/2026

ROW BREAKS OUT AT WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL OVER FUTURE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES

A political row has broken out at Worcestershire County Council over a letter calling on the Government to press ahead with plans to replace the county’s seven existing councils with two new unitary authorities.

Council leader Matt Jenkins, of the Green Party, has co signed a letter to Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner asking the Government to lift its current pause on local government reorganisation and allow preparations for the new North Worcestershire Council and South Worcestershire Council to continue.

But his deputy leader, Conservative councillor Adam Kent, says the letter does not represent the formally agreed position of Worcestershire County Council and has written separately to ministers asking them to disregard it.

The disagreement follows a long running debate over how local government should be reorganised in Worcestershire.

Worcestershire County Council previously backed a single unitary authority covering the whole county, known as the One Worcestershire proposal.

A competing proposal, supported by Bromsgrove District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Malvern Hills District Council, proposed two authorities.

Under that model, North Worcestershire Council would cover Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest, while South Worcestershire Council would cover Worcester, Wychavon and Malvern Hills.

In July, the Government chose the two council proposal, with the existing county, city, borough and district councils originally expected to be abolished and the two new authorities taking responsibility for services from April 2028.

However, on 7 September the Government announced a review of its wider local government reorganisation programme following updated legal advice. Worcestershire was among 14 decisions made in July that were placed under review.

That has created the latest disagreement.

Jenkins says his letter is not an attempt to change Worcestershire County Council’s previous support for the One Worcestershire model. Instead, he argues that the Government has already made a decision in favour of two councils and should now lift the pause so work can continue.

He says continued uncertainty carries financial and staffing risks, pointing to work already under way to prepare for reorganisation, including the appointment of a transformation director on a salary of more than £100,000.

Kent takes a different position. He says Worcestershire County Council itself formally supported one countywide authority and that Jenkins’ letter should therefore not be presented as representing the council’s agreed view.

Kent says he was not consulted before the letter was sent and has written to the Government making his opposition clear.

Reform UK opposition leader Alan Amos has also challenged the move and confirmed that he is taking legal advice, arguing that the council leader has asked ministers to proceed with a structure which the county council itself did not vote to support.

Jenkins maintains that if the Government were to reopen the question of which model Worcestershire should adopt, the county council’s preferred option would remain One Worcestershire. His immediate position, however, is that the Government should end the uncertainty and proceed with the two authority decision it made in July.

For residents, nothing changes immediately. Worcestershire County Council and the six existing district, borough and city councils continue to provide services while the Government carries out its review.

The Government has not yet confirmed whether its July decision to establish North Worcestershire Council and South Worcestershire Council will ultimately proceed.

30/09/2026

'We've never pretended to agree on everything'

25/09/2026

At last night's MHDC Public meeting, It is important and newsworthy to note that MHDC appointed a Councillor to the MHT board who endorses levy payers views in opposing the Bill.

At the meeting seven members of the public addressed the council sharing their views on the current situation with the Malvern Hills Trust and one suggested that MHT should de-register as a charity given that it is a tax raising organisation and therefore in confliction.

https://www.malvernenvironmentprotectiongroup.com/latest-news