ACORN Manchester - Union for the community

Happy birthday to ACORN! 🥳

12 years ago, ACORN began organising neighbours in Bristol and today we have thousands of members in towns and cities across the country (and the world!) 🌰🌏🌍🌎

In our May Members' meeting, we had a celebration with a session of "ACORN Tapas" ! We held a workshop to teach or refresh all our organising skills, where everyone got to try a little of everything. This was to help us all feel confident knocking doors, learn how to coordinate an action, and how to win a Member Defence case!

If you want to get organising in your community, join ACORN today and sharpen up your organising skills! https://acorntheunion.org.uk/join/

At the end of April, your ACORN Manchester chair, James, hosted a training day on how to organise your networks to counter the rise of the Far Right 🚨

We learned how to have an organising conversation, and how to challenge far-right talking points when they come from friends, family, associates or comrades ✊️

This knowledge is increasingly important as politics in the UK becomes more polarised, giving the Far Right a greater platform 🧐

To start organising in your community, join ACORN today here: https://acorntheunion.org.uk/join/

🗳 ACORN Manchester's Housing Hustings 🗳

In the lead up to the local elections, ACORN Manchester invited the five highest polling parties to answer the public's questions about the state of housing in Manchester 🏘

Representatives from the Green Party, Labour and the Liberal Democrats fielded questions on the price, quality and availability of housing in the city.

The Conservatives and Reform UK didn't bother sending a representative 😵

Candidates in the local elections were invited to sign the demands stated in our Homes Before High Rises campaign, which include 30% social housing being built with each new development in Manchester.

Several of the candidates who signed won their seat and are now a part of Manchester City Council 📝👀

This is another reminder that the people of Manchester are tired of how difficult it is to find good quality housing that is truly affordable in our city! ✊️

If you want to back our Homes Before High Rises campaign, and shape the actions of our union in the future, join ACORN today using this link: https://acorntheunion.org.uk/join/

Want to meet other members? Come along to our branch meetings at Methodist Central Hall (M1 1JQ), 18.45-20.30 on the second Wednesday of every month (next meeting 13/05/26) 🗓

🗳 Prior to the local elections tomorrow, ACORN Manchester asked candidates and currwnt councillors to sign our Home Before High Rises and Bailiff Free Britain campaign demands (demands shown at the end).

See who responded here ^

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!

🚨🚨🚨 HUGE WIN FOR ACORN 🚨🚨🚨

Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, has signed ACORN Manchester's demands as part of our Homes Before High Rises campaign! 🏘

This includes a commitment to building 30% social homes with every new housing development in the city! 🥳

This follows Councillor Gavin White (left), Executive Member for Housing and Development, signing the same demands last year.

We are asking all candidates in the upcoming local elections to sign our demands, the full list of which is in the second image! 🗳

This is another example of ACORN winning concrete, positive change for the people of Manchester 🌰

If there are changes you want to see in Manchester, join us and see what else we can achieve through collective action ✊️
https://acorntheunion.org.uk/join/

Have you been on the waiting list for a social homes for far too long? 🚫

Has your door been darkened by a bailiff demanding council tax? 🚪

Is your part of our city being abandoned? 😡

ACORN Manchester are meeting with Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, THIS THURSDAY, so now is your chance to tell her your story and let her know what needs to change in Manchester! ✊️

Comment below or email us at [email protected] and tell us your experience and we will make sure Bev hears YOUR VOICE

ACORN Manchester are hosting a Housing Hustings in the lead up to the Manchester City Council Elections on 7th May! 🗳

Don't know how each party will tackle Manchester's housing issues? 🤔
We have invited the top five polling parties (Green, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Reform) to send any candidates standing in the election to take the questions of the people of Manchester and explain their vision for housing in our city.

You don't need to be a member to attend, this is an issue that affects everyone in our city and everyone is invited to take part!

🗓 Thursday 30th April
🕡 6:30PM-8:30PM (arrival at 6:15PM)
📍 Methodist Central Hall, M1 1JQ

🔗 You can sign up using the Housing Hustings link here:
https://app.zetkin.org/o/1082/events/52552

See you there!

Politics in the UK is becoming increasingly polarised, giving the Far Right a larger platform.

ACORN Manchester are providing a training on how to organise your friends, family and other networks to counter the rise of the Far Right.

All are welcome for an in-depth session examining the strategies that have worked in the past, and those that will be effective in Manchester today.

📍Where?
Space For Change, 41 Old Birley Street, Hulme, M15 5RF

🕦 When?
Sunday 26th April, 11:30-15:00

🔗 Sign up to book your spot here:
https://app.zetkin.org/o/1082/events/52927

Andy Burnham throws £1400-a-table charity dinners to tackle homelessness... whilst developers borrowing millions from a public pot deliver just 4% affordable housing. Make it make sense? 🤔🤔

ACORN took action. Who says democracy can’t be glamorous? 🥂💃

On 19th March, ACORN members went along to Andy Burnham’s Charity Gala. We agree that this is, without doubt, a great cause well worth supporting. But we couldn't afford a ticket and we want him to do more.

Whilst sampling our cakes, he might have pondered forcing developers to abide by the section 106. Whilst bopping his head to Wu-Tang bangers, he might have considered using his power as mayor to get more social housing built. While sipping the finest nosecco, he could have entertained the idea of calling national government for more powers to block dodgy developers.

But he never showed up.

So our members spoke to the people who did. ACORN members and the people we spoke to at the gala are all mint! This city really cares about housing, about ending homelessness, about making real change.

Gaffs before Galas, and get everyone in a stable home. Join ACORN today.

Members of ACORN Manchester have continued to meet with their councillors at their local surgeries, presenting our Homes Before High Rises and Bailiff Free Britain campaign demands 🏘

Members have met with Labour councillor Mahdi Mahamed of Moss Side who signed our demands! 🎉

See second picture for a victory pic from our members!

Labour's Cllr Garry Bridges of Old Moat, alongside his Old Moat colleague Cllr Gavin White (Executive Member for Housing and Development), have previously signed our HB4H demands! 🤝

We will be meeting with Old Moat councillors again on April 13th, including Cllr Suzannah Reeves, to reaffirm their commitment to the HB4H and the BFB campaigns.

We await concrete responses from the other councillors we have visited 🧐

ACORN Manchester are demanding 30% social homes with each new property development in Manchester, providing this city with the housing it desperately needs, and an end to the use of bailiffs to collect council tax debt.

If you want to make a positive change in your city, join ACORN and get involved in our campaigns or propose your own! 🌰

Join link in bio 🔗