UNISON want to hear about your public service champion - £300 to be won! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The team at UNISON is putting the call out for your very own champions of public services in the UK – who do you want to show your appreciation to?

They say "Our public services are in crisis. Comment, tweet, campaign, vote, say thanks – but whatever you do, back your public service champions now.

“We can all relate to being under pressure and having to put a brave face on. For public service workers this has become part of daily working life, but now the crisis in our public services is so bad many of them are at breaking point. They are telling us about their struggle to support the schools, health and social care services, libraries, youth services and policing that our families and communities all depend on.

“Every day thousands of people turn to mumsnet for support, so what better place to get behind our public service champions and show them some love? This is your chance to share stories of how a public service champion has made a difference to you. Thank the teaching assistant for giving your DC the confidence to put their hand up in class. Shake hands with the police community support officer who keeps your neighbourhood safe. Show the care worker who helps your nan get up in the morning some appreciation. It doesn’t matter what you do to support them, it just matters that you back your public service champions now.”

So to get involved, you can do two things. One, post on this thread some info about the public service champion you want to thank – you don't have to give their name but just let us know briefly what they do and what this means to you. Or, two, you can get involved at: //champions.unison.org.uk/.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get two £150 Love2Shop vouchers (which the winner can either keep or split with their nominee!)

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Mumsnet Insight T and Cs apply

[marymanc]

I think I would nominate the whole NHS, starting from my GP, the local hospital and finishing with the Mental health services and children's health services.

Even though the NHS staff is under pressure and there is a big turnover, they have always given me great support and service.

[Alfieisnoisy]

Special schools are my public service champion. The one my son attends is amazing with fabulous staff.

[WorraLiberty]

Well this sticks in my throat a bit

I mean considering I'm a public service worker, whose job has been severely under threat for 2 years, and the Unison rep hasn't bothered to turn up to the last two annual meetings (no explanation or apology either).

This has just reminded me to cancel my union fees, like most of my colleagues have now done.

Thanks, but don't bother entering me into the prize draw for posting on this thread

[foxessocks]

My local GP surgery

[BeyondUser24601]

I nominate worra

[KavvLar]

NHS staff without a doubt.

[notaflyingmonkey]

Not Dave Prentice for a start. As far as I can see he has done very little to look after his members in the public sector - settling for crumbs wherever possible.

[PinkBuffalo]

Worra your story resonates with me. I work for the police, and very few unison members among our staff, as they did sod all when we were relocated with huge job losses! Everyone came out of the union years ago. They were useless.
(Sorry to hijack)

[CopperPan]

My DS has autism and has a fantastic 1:1 TA. He really understands DS's needs and is always willing to listen and learn. I know they get paid a pittance for what they do, and DS can be very challenging, but his TA is probably been the person to have the most influence on his behaviour - way more than the more qualified SALT, OT, ed psych, paed and clinical psychologists who have been involved with him.

[GrumpyDullard]

I'm a UNISON member and I do sympathise with some of the negative posters on here. My local rep is pretty ineffective and the branch secretary has been known to send the branch assistant (who isn't a trained rep, just paid to help around the branch office) along to meetings to tell staff they've got to accept whatever crap it is that management are throwing at us this week.

But if no one else puts themselves forward, what can you do? I used to be a rep and was pretty hardcore and got a lot done (even if I do say so myself) but now I've got three kids I just don't have the time, and being a rep takes up a lot of time. So I just have to suck it up, but I'd never leave the union.

I think Worra would be a great UNISON rep.

[WorraLiberty]

I don't believe they're short on reps Grumpy tbh.

But even if they were, an apology or explanation as to why they missed two very important annual meetings, takes seconds via email.

Instead, they ignored all communication from both the council and union members.

Also sorry for hijacking

[theresamustgo]

Our brilliant Unison rep at work who unstintingly keeps us up to speed with what management are planning, and also links us into to cleaners' campaigns, pensions issues, defence of persecuted union members, university policy on refugees and the like. Also she is a great laugh and I love being on the picket line with her.

[Ledkr]

I agree. They have done sod all for me either.
Through redundancy and relocation, we had our "essential car user allowance" taken off us with no fight even tho it's still in our job as an "essential" that we use our cars for work.
Not sure I'm still with them.

[winterpark]

This is a tough one, I think all nhs staff police officers and firemen and women do an amazing job :)

[cwalliss82]

There is a cleaner in my local supermarket that I see when I do my shop. Although he is only a cleaner, he is the happiest member of staff in the store and always smiles and says hello and askes how I am. He brightens up my day as usually, shop staff come across as miserable.

[janeyf1]

I want to nominate my GP who has been my family doctor for over 20 years. He is helpful, patient and thorough and has been such a comfort during hard times

[glenka]

It has to be the NHS for all the hard work they do with the limited resources that they have.

[phillie1]

GP surgery - speak to our own doctor within a couple of hours, and then can see them same day if needed.

[AnimalAddict]

The NHS for all the amazing hard work they do :)

[Ganne1]

OK, so there are one or two who are not so friendly, but almost all the NHS staff I have dealt with have been very helpful and amiable, despite all the pressures they have to suffer

[lizd31]

My carer Jean is an absolute gem, I couldn't cope without her

[Reow]

My ex-counsellor, without whom I would not be here today

[finleypop]

All the people who make up the NHS

[hiddenmichelle]

The NHS - I know people moan about the queues, but my son is having ongoing treatment as an outpatient at the moment and the staff themselves are always wonderful

[voyager50]

The receptionists at my GP's - despite being really busy they are always really helpful, understanding ad friendly making difficult times easier.