Happy Birthday to… Us!
Well, that was a quick five years!
Yes, it's been five years since we launched UNITY Consulting Scotland! And time really does move fast when running a dynamic campaigning social enterprise.
The rationale behind establishing UNITY Consulting Scotland was that we could use our extensive experience of the political scene to work on behalf of working people and the organisations that represent them, and to challenge the all-too-powerful, rich vested interests who dominate the public narrative (we do not work for commercial organisations or business interests).
It has been fantastic working with my good pals and fellow directors Tommy Kane and Michael Sharpe, helping advance key campaigning priorities with our partners in the trade union, third and voluntary sectors.
And during that time we have been involved in a huge amount of work producing major research reports for our partners on the future of Scotland’s Railways (for ASLEF, RMT, TSSA and UNITE), food insecurity (for the BFAWU), the pressures on the courts and tribunals service (for PCS), the state of Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Service (for the FBU), Dignity for Drivers (for ASLEF) and the failings in the prison system (for the POA), and we delivered two major reports for The Wheatley group on Universal Credit and the pernicious two child cap.
We helped organise the biggest ever demonstration of postal workers and firefighters at the Scottish Parliament and worked with the Poverty Alliance to deliver the “Scotland Demands Better” march and rally and with The Peace and Justice project to put on a week of events at COP26.
We support Aberlour, Scotland’s Children’s charity in their successful campaigning work on school meals debt and continue to work with them on many of their other campaigns to help children and families.
We have worked with MSPs, MPs and Councillors from across the political spectrum to highlight important campaigns on public services, poverty, inequality, transport, hunger, health and safety, mental health, funding, access to services and much, much more. We have helped secure parliamentary debates on key topics, organised events in parliament and meetings with MSPs.
We worked with West Lothian UNISON, UNITE and the GMB union branches in their successful campaign to prevent care homes for the elderly being closed or privatised and EIS members at Glasgow College fend off the threat of closure of the college’s Trade Union Education Centre and ASLEF on their fantastic campaign that ended peak rail fares across Scotland.
We helped Justice for Colombia with fundraising and supporter sign ups, the BFAWU with the recruitment of new members and Zero Hours Justice to build its data base of accredited employers, the SPF and Social action project develop Scottish election manifestos, the CWU to highlight service failings by Royal Mail, the Larder to promote its work with marginalised young people, Who Cares Scotland with research and report writing and have provided campaigns and media training to hundreds of unions reps, workers and community campaigners.
We provide extensive media and communications support to many clients ensuring they secure exposure in the digital and print media, create social media content, write press releases and articles and produce videos.
And we have provided pro bono services to community groups whose values align with ours, on a case by case basis.
Phew…that’s quite a list but we have loved every minute of it, especially sweet are the life changing victories we have helped deliver for working people!
And after a short respite to eat a bit of celebratory birthday cake (and maybe down a pint or two) we will be back at it, building support for the next social justice campaign. The aim over the next 5 years is to build on our successes and see what we can achieve together.
