FIRE AT SEA (FUOCOAMMARE) at Curzon Cinema, Clevedon on 22nd March

Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival 2016, Gianfranco Rosi's incisive, poignant and deeply moving portrait of the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa - and the humanitarian crisis occurring in the seas around it - is both a masterly work of documentary filmmaking and a timely call for urgent action.

Situated 150 miles south of Sicily, Lampedusa has hit headlines as the first port of call for hundreds of thousands of African and Middle Eastern refugees hoping to make a new life in Europe. After spending months living on the island and engaging with its inhabitants, Rosi accumulated an incredible array of footage, portraying the history, culture and daily lives of the islanders. Focusing on 12-year-old Samuele, as he explores the land and attempts to gain mastery of the sea, the film slowly builds a breathtakingly naturalistic portrait of the Lampedusan people and the events that surround them.

The result is a lyrical, poetic and searingly powerful documentary that casts neither judgement nor aspersions, but simply shows the world to the viewer - to utterly devastating effect.

The film will be followed by a Q&A:

· Chair - Paul Dunn, North Somerset Labour Party
· Baraa Ehssab Kouja, From Syria with Love
· Richard Annandale, Calais Refugee Solidarity Bristol
· Becky Condron,  Refugees Welcome North Somerset

Stalls from 6.45 pm: Refugees Welcome North Somerset, From Syria with Love, Calais Refugee Solidarity Bristol, North Somerset Labour Party, North Somerset Green Party, Weston Labour Party

Tickets: http://www.curzon.org.uk/

More info on film at http://www.fireatsea.com/

Stop the Cuts to Health and Social Care Demonstration

UNISON members were joined by members of Weston Labour party to demonstrate at tonight's North Somerset Council meeting. On the agenda were £10 million of cuts to council services including £2.5 million of cuts to Adult Social Care and almost £2 million to Children's Services.

The council also debated a motion expressing their concerns about the STP for the area - the motion was passed with the following amendments:

Item 3 of "This Council is concerned" was removed

Item 4 of "North Somerset Council asks the leader of the Council to" was removed

The full motion can be found at item 6 of http://apps.n-somerset.gov.uk/cairo/docs/doc27922.htm

Here are some photos from tonight's demonstration.

Stop the cuts to Health & Social Care - Demonstration at the Town Hall on 21st February 2017 at 5.30 pm

North Somerset Council will meet on 21st February at the Town Hall in Weston super Mare to approve their budget for the forthcoming year, including cuts to Social Care and other essential services. At the same meeting opposition councillors are proposing a motion which asks the council to oppose the local NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan – a  5 year plan to cut millions of pounds from local NHS services, including potential cuts to Weston Hospital’s A&E department. A similar motion has been voted on recently by Bristol City Council.

Both Weston and North Somerset Labour parties will be demonstrating at the meeting, as will members of Protect our NHS North Somerset. We need as many UNISON members there as possible – we all have an interest in protecting our local Health & Social Care services.

Please come to the Town hall in Weston super Mare at 5.30 pm on 21st February to greet councillors as they arrive for the meeting. UNISON will have plenty of placards available, or feel free to bring your own.

It's Our NHS National Demonstration 4th March in London

Details of transport from Weston super Mare to be confirmed - watch this space.

Public Meeting to build support for the Demo on 7th February at 7.30 pm at the Working Men's Club in Weston super Mare.

Speakers include: Dr Richard Lawson, Dr Gabriel Scally and Joanne Kaye - UNISON SW Regional Secretary

Coach from Weston super Mare to Tory Party Conference on 2nd October

Coach to Tory Party Conference in Birmingham - 2nd October

Leaves Locking Road car park in Weston super Mare at 7.30 am.

Returns from Birmingham at 5.00 pm, getting back to Weston at 9.00 pm.

Tickets - £10.00 waged and £5.00 unwaged.

To book your ticket contact Weston & North Somerset Trades Union Council- Phone 077 393 78 546 or email: rickpcs55@btinternet.com

This Changes Everything at the Curzon Cinema, Clevedon on 19th October

19th October at 7 pm 
Curzon Cinema, 46 Old Church Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, BS21 6NN

A film based on Naomi Klein's book This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate, followed by a Q&A with:

· Chair - Paul Dunn, North Somerset Labour Party
· Molly Scott Cato, Green Party MEP
· Andrew Simms, New Economics Foundation
· Nigel Costley, South West TUC

Stalls from 6 pm: North Somerset Labour Party, North Somerset Green Party, Transition Clevedon, North Somerset Climate Coalition Group, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Positive Money, and Momentum Environment

Tickets: http://www.curzon.org.uk/

More information about the film: http://www.thefilm.thischangeseverything.org/

Funding provided by North Somerset Labour Party and North Somerset Green Party

Jean Long 4th July 1943 - 23rd August 2016

Jean Long (left) and Pat Barrett (right) at Tolpuddle Festival

We are very sad to inform you that long standing UNISON Rep for Home Care and recently retired UNISON member Jean Long died in Weston Hospice on 23rd August 2016 after a long and brave battle against cancer. Jean became a UNISON member when she first joined North Somerset Council in 1998 and became a UNISON Steward soon after. She was also a Health & Safety Rep, and held a number of branch officer positions including Assistant Branch Secretary. Jean was a stout defender of the Home Care service, and when she was a Rep she had 100% UNISON membership. She was one of the negotiating team for single status at North Somerset Council and was passionate about standing up for low paid UNISON members. Jean was also active in UNISON at regional and national level, including setting up UNISON’s National Home Care Forum. Jean supported every picket line, whatever the weather, during every dispute at North Somerset Council. She was a regular attender of the annual Tolpuddle Festival, as well as UNISON conferences. When Jean retired in 2010 she continued her UNISON activity as a retired member, supporting picket lines, attending marches and rallies, and running the branch office at various points. She will be greatly missed by all of us in North Somerset.

Jean’s funeral will take place on 8th September at 12 midday at Weston super Mare Crematorium, Ebdon Road, Worle, Weston Super Mare, BS22 9NY

Family flowers only. Donations to Weston Hospicecare, Jackson-Barstow House, 28 Thornbury Road, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 4YQ.