GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

one of the union officials, Brendon Batson, who I mentioned before, rang the

club to find out more about the issue. It was only then that I began to realise

that the union had my best interests at heart, but it would be unfair to say that I

had any further meaningful engagement with the union until much later and it

was again at a time of need at a crucial period in my life and that was at the

time when severe injury forced me into early retirement. The union contacted

me to see how they could help. They contacted me to inform me that I was

entitled to money through a non-contributory insurance scheme which

compensated players who suffered a career ending injury. Other officials from

the union encouraged me to embark on a programme of education and

retraining supported by the union which aw me progress through all my

professional coaching awards, complete a diploma in business studies and go

on to gain a BA Honours degree in politics and history from the University of

Salford. It is fair to say that the interventions of my union transformed my life

and helped me through a difficult transition which initially saw me lose my

livelihood, my identity and my sense of purpose.

Whilst studying at university I assisted the union in as many endeavours as I

could, I had a lot to be grateful for, supporting young learners within the now

statutory education which was provided, again which was an initiative of the

union, and it was not long after I completed my degree that I was offered a

position in the education department of the union where I have been able to

dedicate the rest of my working life there to supporting players such as myself

in my late 20s to prepare for the inevitable transition from elite sport into

mainstream employment. Mine is not a unique story. It is quite common within

the movement for those who have been most positively and proactively

impacted by their union to become active in supporting members, either as

reps or paid officials. The only difference is the profession. That is one of the

many lessons I have learnt during my time as a member of the Executive, that

there is an incredible commonality to many of the issues that we all face within

our particular industry or our particular union and that is a strength, because

where our interests converge we will be stronger in our collective determination

to achieve our goals.

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