Chelmsford CWU support vulnerable women and children

Postal June 12 2019

“We’ve all had a lot of fun here at Chelmsford Mail Centre today – but we’re also supporting a very serious cause,” reported Abiola Latona yesterday, after organising a special multicultural event and fund-raiser for local women’s refuge charity Changing Pathways.

“We’ve laid on food from many different cultures, a raffle and a tombola,” explained Abiola (pictured left) – a member of the CWU women’s committee at the site.

“At our last women’s committee meeting, we had an invited speaker from Changing Pathways and we were so moved by her talk about all the really important work her charity does for women escaping from abuse and domestic violence that we all wanted to do something in support and solidarity.”

So the Chelmsford CWU union room hosted the special event, and members of the committee, along with other activists and members became involved.

“We’ve got members here from so many different cultural backgrounds, so we wanted to show that we are all standing together in solidarity with local women who need help and assistance,” Abiola continues.

“And so we’ve managed to provide meals from India, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and traditional English food too – in return for a donation to the charity.”

During their breaks, mail centre workers have been popping into the union room to visit the CWU women’s committee stall, taste the wares on offer, donate to the charity and try their luck with the tombola and raffle – and most importantly, to find out more about the work to help vulnerable women in the area and their children.

Abiola says that her own background is Nigerian – “and I brought in some soup and jollof rice, which I’m pleased to say has been very popular today.

“It’s been a great day so far – my early shift has just finished, but I’m staying until about 8pm this evening to make sure we can try to see people from the late shift.

“I really hope we’ve helped the charity today, and raised awareness of the need to support women in trouble – and I also hope we’ve brought people in the mail centre together today as well.”

Find out more about changing pathways here.