n By Hajera Blagg
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recently she’s added the Trussell Trust and food bank networks. Life in the countryside can be really tough.
As lockdown restrictions were lifted across the UK earlier this year, Stephanie and others on the Facebook page have begun organising in-person meet-ups. While such meet-ups are still a work in progress, Stephanie hailed the ones they’ve had so far.
“For the first meet-up we had in my area at a hotel in South Wales, I thought I would have to work on getting people to talk. But everyone chatted away for the whole three hours we were there until our time was up and they had to throw us out! It couldn’t have gone better.”
Stephanie said she hopes the group will continue growing organically – and that as membership climbs, so too does the group’s diversity. She hopes to encourage more men to join the group, who she believes would especially benefit since many men aren’t as willing to share their problems
Years ago if you worked on a farm, there was a whole bunch of you there. Now, if there’s a farmworker who is retired in the countryside – who is he going to talk to about what he used to do on the farm
RURAL HUBS – UNITE POWER WHERE Stephanie Powell Fireside Chat organiser
as women are. She also encourages more Unite farm workers, whether retired or still in employment, to join as well.
Above all, Stephanie believes that
groups like Farming Facebook Fireside Chat – whether offline or in-person – are now more needed in the countryside than ever.
“Years ago if you worked on a farm, there was a whole bunch of you there,” she explained. “Now, if there’s a farmworker who is retired in the countryside – who is he going to talk to? And who’s he going to talk to about what he used to do on the farm? It’s so important to him – it’s his heritage isn’t it? He probably loved what he did, and he’s proud of it.”
It is this pride in a shared heritage and way of living – with all the highs and lows that entails – that groups like Stephanie’s Fireside Chat have tapped into with such success.
25 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2022 ”
YOU LIVE Your Unite campaigns team is keen to bring not just our rural and agricultural members closer together, but all Unite workers who live and work in a rural area. Ideas are being formulated and include linking those who want to take part in the scheme, to be put in touch with other nearby Unite members – industrial, retired and Community.
A special Facebook page for our members is another possibility as is using the Landworker to bring local people together.
We are running a fringe on this at Tolpuddle – and Landworker will of course keep you updated as things develop. Ed.
Find out more If you or anyone you know is
interested in joining the Farming Facebook Fireside Chat group, why not join? See
www.facebook.com/groups/ 1127321238014665
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