Highlighting community voices at the Convention of the North fringe event
Highlighting community voices at the Convention of the North Fringe Event
On 26th February 2025 at the University of Central Lancashire, Citizens UK held its first-ever fringe event on the eve of the 2025 Convention of the North.
Over 200 people attended, representing thousands of voices from communities across the North, including students, parents, workers, carers, faith groups, and pensioners.
Powerful testimonies were shared on the need to improve public transport, tackle low-pay and insecure work, and include those with lived experiences of issues in decision-making processes.
I’m Jonathan, and I work at The Walton Centre. I live a few miles away and rely on the local Arriva bus to get to the hospital. It’s a constant source of stress. Most weeks, I’m late several times and end up staying later to make up the time.” – Jonathan, Liverpool Citizens
In a moment of solidarity, community leaders signed a statement to be taken to the Convention of the North, to ensure that the people in our communities are involved in shaping the services they receive.
Within 24 hours, on day one of the Convention of the North, a team of community leaders secured commitments from Northern Mayors, MPs, Council Leaders and decision-makers.
The CEO of Transport for the North, Martin Tugwell, committed to working with Citizens UK to improve the reliability, affordability, accessibility, connectedness, and safety of public transport.
During the Convention of the North, Scott, a student from Edge Hill University addressed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in the Transport Policy workshop with a testimony of how unreliable and inaccessible public transport impacts his physical health and studies. On the next day of the Convention of the North Mayor Burnham opened his panel discussion by acknowledging what he had heard from Scott’s testimony and saying accessibility must become a priority.
Citizens UK campaigners in the North look forward to working with decision-makers on public transport, low pay and involving local communities on the issues that matter most to them.
We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them.
Together, we put the power back into people’s hands to hold those responsible to account.
We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.
Find your local chapter to get involved.