On Tuesday, Manchester NO2ID had another productive meeting at the Town Hall Tavern. We were joined by several new faces as a result of our flyering campaigns, as well as many of our regular supporters.
We discussed our progress since our last meeting. Since then, we have had our first Manchester Day of ID Register Opposition, and started our fortnightly evening flyering campaign. We've seen more people subscribing to our e-mail list and attending our meetings, as well as stopping to ask us about the National Identity Register. This is the kind of awareness raising which we really need to do, and we seem to be doing pretty weill at it.
We discussed our progress since our last meeting. Since then, we have had our first Manchester Day of ID Register Opposition, and started our fortnightly evening flyering campaign. We've seen more people subscribing to our e-mail list and attending our meetings, as well as stopping to ask us about the National Identity Register. This is the kind of awareness raising which we really need to do, and we seem to be doing pretty weill at it.
Manchester NO2ID Logo
Agenda Items
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1) Public Meeting
We are still interested in holding a large-scale public meeting in October, however plans for this are on the back burner pending funding. Hopefully we can get everything sorted to advertise to the students at the start of next term.
2) Community Group
Dave has contacted Manchester City Council and the Scarman Trust concerning funding applications, but has yet to hear back from them.
3) Local Groups
We are still keen to get more local groups started in other parts of Greater Manchester. All it requires is someone to put their name down as co-ordinator. Manchester NO2ID will give you what support we can for flyering, meetings etcetera.
4) Local Events
Manchester NO2ID would like to be present at local events or festivals. The D-Percussion Festival in Salford was mentioned.
5) Venue for Meetings
We are very keen to find a wheelchair-accessible venue for Manchester NO2ID meetings. The Unitarian Chapel on Cross Street is prohibitively expensive at 55 pounds per evening. Barry mentioned that the smaller meeting rooms at the Friends Meeting House are available from as little as eleven or twelve pounds for an evening; Matt will investigate this. It was thought that the room funding could be covered by having a whip-round atthe meeting.
6) Website
We have a rudimentary website at
http://manchester.no2id.net/ - Dave will update the content ASAP with our new dates, and has secured more capable hosting for a website which will be easier to keep up-to-date.
Other Business
--------------
1) Radio Show
We discussed the show on Under the Pavement that Bob and Dave took part in. Dave needs to cut the interview from the MP3 of the show, and make it available as a smaller seperate download from the Manchester NO2ID website. We also discussed making a transcript available.
2) Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bride would apparently be a good place to attract support for NO2ID and perhaps start a local group. Matt, Steve from the Greens and Barry all have contacts there and will investigate organising something.
3) Northern Voices
Barry invited Dave to write an article on ID cards and Manchester NO2ID for Northern Voices magazine.
4) Contacting MPs
Given the recent leaked e-mails from the Home Office about the impossibility of the National Identity Register, NO2ID have suggested that local co-ordinators write to MPs and ask them to take a stance against ID cards, especially if they voted for the Identity Cards Act 2006.
5) Salford Day of Opposition
August 9th will see Manchester NO2ID hopping over the river to Salford for another Day of ID Register Opposition. The Salfordians present considered that it would be best to leave the stall etc. behind, to split into three or four groups and cover seperate entrances to the shopping centre.
Other Salford matters discussed included sending a press release to the Salford Advertiser before the day, as well as spending a Wednesday afternoon sometime leafletting the council workers outside the Town Hall.
We will meet at the Broadwalk library at 12:30pm, and begin flyering at 1pm.
6) Salford Presentation
Councillor Joe O'Neill from Salford was present and invited Manchester NO2ID to give a talk in Salford as part of a meeting which will be organised by the Salford Liberal Democrats.
7) Local UNISON Branches
In light of UNISON voting to affiliate with NO2ID, Dave mentioned that he had contacted Manchester UNISON but received no reply. This may have been due to temporary technical issues with no2id.net e-mail, which should now be sorted. It was suggested that he also contact Salford UNISON.
8) NO2ID Youth Wing
On the Manchester Day of ID Register Opposition, Dave ran into someone demonstrating with Students Against Imperialism who claimed to be the Manchester representative of the NO2ID Youth Wing. Dave has not heard back from him and will attempt to chase him up.
9) Dates for the Diary
Dates for future events were discussed, which will be posted seperately once the venue for the next meeting is confirmed.
Actions
-------
Matt to investigate the Friends Meeting House as a potential venue for NO2ID meetings, and the costs associated with that.
Dave to contact Greater Manchester MPs and ask them to oppose the National Identity Register.
Dave to confirm a date for giving a talk with Cllr. Joe O'Neill.
Dave to contact Manchester and Salford UNISON branches.
Matt, Steve and Barry to investigate a day in Hebden Bridge.
Dave to track down the Manchester representative of the NO2ID Youth Wing
-----------
1) Public Meeting
We are still interested in holding a large-scale public meeting in October, however plans for this are on the back burner pending funding. Hopefully we can get everything sorted to advertise to the students at the start of next term.
2) Community Group
Dave has contacted Manchester City Council and the Scarman Trust concerning funding applications, but has yet to hear back from them.
3) Local Groups
We are still keen to get more local groups started in other parts of Greater Manchester. All it requires is someone to put their name down as co-ordinator. Manchester NO2ID will give you what support we can for flyering, meetings etcetera.
4) Local Events
Manchester NO2ID would like to be present at local events or festivals. The D-Percussion Festival in Salford was mentioned.
5) Venue for Meetings
We are very keen to find a wheelchair-accessible venue for Manchester NO2ID meetings. The Unitarian Chapel on Cross Street is prohibitively expensive at 55 pounds per evening. Barry mentioned that the smaller meeting rooms at the Friends Meeting House are available from as little as eleven or twelve pounds for an evening; Matt will investigate this. It was thought that the room funding could be covered by having a whip-round atthe meeting.
6) Website
We have a rudimentary website at
http://manchester.no2id.net/ - Dave will update the content ASAP with our new dates, and has secured more capable hosting for a website which will be easier to keep up-to-date. Other Business
--------------
1) Radio Show
We discussed the show on Under the Pavement that Bob and Dave took part in. Dave needs to cut the interview from the MP3 of the show, and make it available as a smaller seperate download from the Manchester NO2ID website. We also discussed making a transcript available.
2) Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bride would apparently be a good place to attract support for NO2ID and perhaps start a local group. Matt, Steve from the Greens and Barry all have contacts there and will investigate organising something.
3) Northern Voices
Barry invited Dave to write an article on ID cards and Manchester NO2ID for Northern Voices magazine.
4) Contacting MPs
Given the recent leaked e-mails from the Home Office about the impossibility of the National Identity Register, NO2ID have suggested that local co-ordinators write to MPs and ask them to take a stance against ID cards, especially if they voted for the Identity Cards Act 2006.
5) Salford Day of Opposition
August 9th will see Manchester NO2ID hopping over the river to Salford for another Day of ID Register Opposition. The Salfordians present considered that it would be best to leave the stall etc. behind, to split into three or four groups and cover seperate entrances to the shopping centre.
Other Salford matters discussed included sending a press release to the Salford Advertiser before the day, as well as spending a Wednesday afternoon sometime leafletting the council workers outside the Town Hall.
We will meet at the Broadwalk library at 12:30pm, and begin flyering at 1pm.
6) Salford Presentation
Councillor Joe O'Neill from Salford was present and invited Manchester NO2ID to give a talk in Salford as part of a meeting which will be organised by the Salford Liberal Democrats.
7) Local UNISON Branches
In light of UNISON voting to affiliate with NO2ID, Dave mentioned that he had contacted Manchester UNISON but received no reply. This may have been due to temporary technical issues with no2id.net e-mail, which should now be sorted. It was suggested that he also contact Salford UNISON.
8) NO2ID Youth Wing
On the Manchester Day of ID Register Opposition, Dave ran into someone demonstrating with Students Against Imperialism who claimed to be the Manchester representative of the NO2ID Youth Wing. Dave has not heard back from him and will attempt to chase him up.
9) Dates for the Diary
Dates for future events were discussed, which will be posted seperately once the venue for the next meeting is confirmed.
Actions
-------
Matt to investigate the Friends Meeting House as a potential venue for NO2ID meetings, and the costs associated with that.
Dave to contact Greater Manchester MPs and ask them to oppose the National Identity Register.
Dave to confirm a date for giving a talk with Cllr. Joe O'Neill.
Dave to contact Manchester and Salford UNISON branches.
Matt, Steve and Barry to investigate a day in Hebden Bridge.
Dave to track down the Manchester representative of the NO2ID Youth Wing
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