61 / 175
GFTU Educational Trust
| Page 46
27. The Trust supported a special event to explore
ways of using arts and culture to support union
organising, campaigning and education work. This
was generally considered a very worthwhile and
unique day. Around 65 attended including all arts
related affiliates. Performances and discussions were
excellent. It provided a great building block for the
Liberating Arts Festival November 3,4,5 2017 and
took us a long way forward in terms of considering
how arts and cultural workers can assist the union
work of organising, education and campaigning.
28. The Trust was also able to support the performance
of a new play about Mary Quaile by a new young
theatre group in Nottingham, Bread and Roses.
29. Following these events a small group organising
the Liberating Arts Festival has met to plan things
and apply for grants. This group includes Townsend
Productions, Exeter and York Universities, Reel News,
Chris Jury, Jan Woolf, Banner Theatre and others.
30. A report of our December 6th Event by Jan Woolf of
the WGGB can be found at the end of this report.
31. The Trust has continued to take detailed reports on
performance at Quorn Grange Hotel and Nursery
and has established a wholly own subsidiary to run
the nursery.
32. The Trust has been keen to support the
development of new services that could generate
small additional income for its work. Among
these have been: New GFTU Legal services for
affiliates, new venue booking arrangements, a print
and design facility, a credit union, new financial
services offers to members, financial and education
administration for affiliates and a new beer and
wine.
33. There has been positive support for our work from a
growing number of Universities.
33.1
Leeds Beckett
33.2 This meeting was at the most senior level
with Vice Chancellor and Deans and Heads
of Department and discussed a whole
range of ways in which the University
could support our education work. Further
meetings will be held. A Memorandum of
Understanding has been agreed.
33.3 The university will deliver our new course for
trade union educators in 2017.
33.4
Newman University
33.5 The University will deliver our new course for
trade union educators at Level 6.
33.6 Mike Seal from Newman is putting a great
deal of work into our editing our book
on trade union education and made
presentations at the summit and union
building conference.
33.7
Ruskin College
33.8 Positive discussions are under way about
closer working. The Secretary remains a
member of the Executive Board of Ruskin. The
Trust has circulated details of the Ruskin offer.
33.9 The Secretary was an invited speaker at the
special Ruskin Day on the future of Working
Class Education.
33.10
Somerville College Oxford
33.11 Dr Alice Porcheska who is a distinguished
internationally renowned historian and
archivist, wrote the first history of the GFTU.
She is now Principal of Somerville College
Oxford. She is keen to share some of her
unpublished work on the GFTU’s history with
our new Ph D student and to work closely
with us again. Dr Procheska also arranged
to host a meeting of education officers at
Somerville college to discuss access to the
university for trade unionists.
33.12
Northern College
33.13 Our five day courses at Northern were
very successful. The Trust has been able
to promote Northern College and Ruskin
College at the TUC and in its new education
brochure.
33.14
Wolverhampton University
33.15 Our partnered bid for £670,000 with
the university to study the North Wales
Coalfields and appoint two post doc
students to work with the GFTU has been
successful.
33.16 Dr Shirin Hirsch the current post doc student
working with the GFTU has commenced her
work and made a contribution at the Union
Building Conference.
33.17 We were able to make a successful
appointment for a PhD student to write a
history of the GFTU. We are delighted to
report that Edda Nicholson has been offered
the position.
33.18
DeMontfort University
33.19 We have offered two small prizes for
students at DeMontfort successfully
completing IR related courses and I will
present these at the end of January.
Extensive discussions have been held about
mutual co-operation and opportunities.
33.20
Exeter University
33.21 The University is keen to sign a partnership
with us particularly to support our cultural
work, promote degree apprenticeships,
consider work on climate change and
developmental issues internationally.
33.22
Marjohn College
33.23 The College is keen to sign a partnership
with us particularly to support our education
agenda.
33.24
Keele University
33.25 A joint funding bid to support seminars to
consider the questions facing trade unionists
in the EU referendum was obtained and
three seminars were held.