GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

other, learn from each other and help each other develop along the way. In the

last few years Nautilus International’s young members have successfully held

their committee meeting around the weekend’s agenda and because it has

worked so well this year we are encouraging all affiliates to utilise the weekend

for your young members and their committees to meet. With the new

classrooms and the extra space now at Quorn it is the ideal place to kill two

birds with one stone.

I would like to ask that all affiliates pass on to me the details of the officer that

heads up their young members’ section so that we can circulate the information

about the weekend to them as well as going through the normal GFTU

channels, as we want to get the word out to as many young members across

the affiliates as possible. In the past we have had members that have attended

the weekend and gone on to great things – paid union officials like myself and

Elliott Dean, stars of the music industry like Ian Mark and let’s not forget

prospective members of Parliament like Deanne Ferguson.

The weekend really is a spring board for young members and reps to help

them develop around the bread and butter reps courses that you can do

elsewhere. Facebook is a wonderful thing and every now and again it pops up

with a delightful memory and today is no exception. It came up with some

feedback from a few years ago, so I just thought I would read that, if that is

okay. This is from an MU delegate. “This weekend I was fortunate enough to

attend the GFTU on behalf of the MU at a picturesque hotel in Quorn,

Leicestershire. Although I saw it initially as an opportunity to expand my

network, I ended up learning a considerable deal about how powerful people

are when they work together, fearlessly and with the same intentions. I had my

eyes opened to a history I was not educated about at school. I saw first hand

an infectious passion and drive from individuals that make a difference to

communities day in day out. I witnessed politics and music unite a group of

complete strangers together from different trades, backgrounds and areas of

the UK. Although individuals, we stood together about the things we feel

passionate about. We listened to each others’ views, ate, drank, laughed and

mixed our colours together to make something bigger and beautiful than our

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