North West Regional Pensioners Association (NWRPA)

(Affiliated to the National Pensioners Convention, (NPC) and BP & TUAA)

Newsletter January 2015

Contact: Secretary, Jack Crossfield, e-mail

Web Site:spanglefish.com/nwrpaMobile: 07794712904

Our North West Region Pensioners Association wishes everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope you are well enough to enjoy the small things around you, especially if you have family, because this is the time to forget any bad feeling towards each other and be thankful you are here.

Please remember that if we have a very cold winter to check on the local elderly to see that they are OK and if they need any errands doing because they can’t get out in the bad weather.

We welcome new members to our group and this year and individuals are welcome to join, however they can’t stand for an executive position until the constitution is changed. To join as an individual it costs £10 a year which includes postage for any material.

We hope more groups in the North West consider joining our exisiting 62 groups (2014), which makes us one of the biggest Pensioners groups in the Noth West. To join as a Group costs £20 however your will be allowed to nominate a person to our executive in 2016 if your group joins now.

2015 will be a major year in politics and whilst pensioners have a record of over 73% of turning out to vote in a general election politicians still seem to be able to ignore our calls for improvement. Alongside the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), British Pensioners and the Trade Union AA we work together to try and improve the standards most pensioners live under. An individual, small group (whatever their good intentions) are totally ignored by all politicians and that is why we want YOU to join us and make our campaign stronger so that we won’t be ignored any more.

In March this year the NPC holds its Bienial Delegates Conference (BDC) which we send four delgates to. Our NWRPA has sent a resolution calling for ALL Utility companies, gas, electric, phone and water tp withdraw it’s large standing charges for pensioners who have enabled these companies to make huge profits over many years, it’s time to reward these people.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

  • Ensure the next government gives back the NHS to public control and free of charge at every service even if this means an increase in tax.
  • Bring back QOF visits to Doctors surgeries and include a lay person of the public on the team.
  • Ensure that care homes are monitored effectively to protect the vulnerable and aged users and ensure punishment for abuse is severe.
  • Make sure you support a MP that agrees with our Dignity Code and the NPC’s manifesto for the General Election.
  • Join the fight to make the UK a better country for pensioners to live in rather than being one of the lowest to pay pensions in Europe.

DATE OF THE NEXT & FUTURE GENERAL MEETINGS in 2015.

23rd January, Liverpool (AGM), 27th February, Salford, 27th March, Wigan, 24th April, Liverpool, 29th May Salford, 26th June, Wigan, 31st July, Liverpool, 28th August, Salford, 25th September, Wigan, 30th October, Liverpool, 27th November Salford. Annual meeting to be arranged. At this moment all our meetings are held in Unite offices and the Executive meet at 12.30pm and the full meeting starts at 1 pm.

Affiliate bodies for 2015:

Unite N/W 0065 Barrow branch, Unite NW Wirral 9515m, Blackburn With Darwin Older People’s Forum, Wigan Metropolitan Unison Branch, Unite the Union 6/785 branch, Unite Bolton branch NW 0121, Unite Fylde Coast branch, Central Lancs, Unite 6/72 branch, Unison United Utilities branch, Horwich Pensioners, Unison Retired Members - Blackpool Local Government, Unite NW 52 Blood branch, Preston Craft 21/b 2815, Blackpool Senior Voice Forum, Unite Manufacturing NW0611 branch, Unite Manchester Manufacturing NW 0611 branch, Central Lancs Health Branch, USDAW, Warrington, Office Composite branch. (NW CO-OP Retail No 1 K008 branch, South Cheshire PA, Lancaster District Pensioners Campaign Group, CWU North Wales & Marches Branch, Unite Manchester Area RMA Branch 102999, Unison Warrington Branch, Ms P G Feig (Individual), LLyods TSB Retired Staff Association

Let us show that 12 million pensioners in the UK will not be ignored any longer add your groupsname to this growing list for 2015

Please remember the NWRPA are here to listen to any ideas members may have and if any member needs a speaker at their forum we will try and supply one and also more importantly if you are trying to set a group up in your area and need help please contact the secretary by phone or e-mail.

We try to invite speakers on the issues that are important to Pensioners and ask questions you can’t always find the answer for

Join our fight to give back the NHS to the public and make it a free service to all.

Hope to see you all in the near future Jack Crossfield, NWRPA Secretary.

On writing to 65 NW MP’s about the problems of the National Insurance Fund, these are the MP’s that have responded: Graham Stringer, David Crausby, and Andrew Gwynne, Jonathan Reynolds, Andrew Miller, Ben Wallace .

Next year’s newsletter will have details of activities within member’s areas so it is vital that you send in any report you think will be useful to the other members and please remember to keep it short. Thank you for your support: Jack Crossfield, Secretary.