Putting the Campaign against Black Country Youth Unemployment on the National Agenda: October 20th

Three members of the TUC Black Country Youth Unemployment campaign group were able to put our campaign on the national stage at the TUC's FUTURE THAT WORKS demonstration.  Fiona Myers, Dwayne Foster and Ashley Parsons from the group were all unemployed and had already been active campaigners in the group. They spent three roller-coaster weeks in the run up to the demonstration doing photo-shoots, film recording and interviews with the national press to tell their story of how they had been unable to find work for months and, in Ashley's case, over a year due to government cuts.

                                              
On the day of the march Ashley, Fiona and Dwayne were joined by Nigel Summers from our campaign group (pictured left, below) to lead the banner at the front of the march, leading 150,000 people through London to call for the government to invest in jobs and services rather than carry on with austerity policies.

Our campaign group also marched on October 20th to show the Government that young people were prepared to get active on youth unemployment that had so badly affected their areas.  Pictured L-R Above: Sophia, Dwayne, Ashley, Nigel, Fiona, Rosa and Darryll.

The best moment of the day came when the March finished in Hyde Park as we watched Ashley  (pictured left) deliver a speech from the stage demanding more investment in jobs and an end to cuts that meant he was not able to work in the police force and has been unemployed for over a year.  He said that in his home city of Wolverhampton, 1 in 7 young people are now unemployed.

Ashley's story was so powerful, it was even referenced by Ed Miliband in his speech from the same stage in Hyde Park.  Miliband said:

'I am here to join with people from all walks of life ...Young people looking for work. Like Ashley Parsons from Wolverhampton ...Let us say we stand with all the young people who want to work in Britain today.'

And a few moments later Ashley, Fiona and Dwayne came face to face with Miliband, as he asked to meet them backstage at Hyde Park...it was a proud moment as the Black Country campaign against youth unemployment reached the leader of the Opposition!

Now we will take our message back to decision makers in the Black Country at our forthcoming Youth Unemployment Summit at Dudley College on November 30th where we will be calling for investment in jobs and skills for young people.  Email Rosa at rcrawford@tuc.org.uk to book your free place.

Read the Midlands TUC report on the event here.