P9: Upfront

Protecting lives

NUT Cheshire West is selling t-shirts and hoodies in support of the Justice for Colombia campaign through Protecting Lives, a joint union health and safety website.

The NUT is a leading supporter of the website, which is aimed at teachers and support staff, along with other unions including NASUWT and Unison.

NUT Cheshire West were delighted when General Secretary Christine Blower agreed to hand over their first ‘royalty’ cheque from t-shirt sales to Justice for Colombia (JFC).

Greg Foster, NUT Association Secretary, told The Teacher: “Protecting Lives is our health and safety group… given the threats to trade unionists in Colombia we felt our website was the obvious forum through which to sell the t-shirts and hoodies.”

To order, visit the Protecting Lives site and follow the link. Bulk orders save postage, increasing the profit for JFC.

www.protectinglives.co.uk www.justiceforcolombia.org

Learning rekindled

Year 5 pupils from Avonmouth Church of England Primary School met MPs at a seminar at Portcullis House, Westminster, London.

Pupils talked about their experiences of working with Big Wide Talk, a children’s project that runs Theatres of Learning for children disengaged from education. Their class teacher Celia Jenkins and head teacher Vicky Dupras accompanied them.

Theatres of Learning are set up in disused spaces, empty schools or large retail units. For more information visit www.bigwidetalk.org.

Ties that bind us

‘Children of refugees and asylum seekers are welcome in Newham schools.’ Newham NUT marks this sentiment every year with a competition, and this year’s prizewinners and their parents went to celebrate in Newham Town Hall in London.

This year’s competition, ‘Ties that bind us’, asked primary school children to design a tie or scarf for NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney, carrying this message.

At the awards ceremony, Cairo Caravan provided music, and author Annemarie Young and local union officers presented certificates and book vouchers. Annemarie read extracts from her books and remarked on the positive messages the children had incorporated into their designs.

Newham Bookshop ran a stall where many of the children spent their vouchers.