Citizens UK

A new report released today by the Living Wage Foundation revealed London nighttime workers are more than 40% more likely to experience low pay than those who don’t work at night. They are also more likely to have an insecure job.   We polled over 2000 nighttime workers in London about their experiences as part of the research. We found: ➡️ 31 per cent said that working at night negatively impacts their physical health ➡️ 28 per cent said they experience negative impacts on their mental health ➡️ 44 per cent said working at night had a negative impact on their quality of sleep   📢The negative impacts of working at night on workers are compounded by their experience of low pay. Workers paid less than the real Living Wage are more likely than other workers to report that working at night has a negative impact on their lives.    Nighttime workers in London, like all workers, deserve the dignity of a real Living Wage. We know that this can become a reality, and we won’t stop until London is a #LivingWageCity. 💪🏽   Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e69VrwPW Find out more about the Making London a Living Wage City campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e9tn-57Y Living Wage Foundation Night Club

Yesterday, Citizens UK launched a new report: From Rooted to Recognised: Unblocking the Pathway to Citizenship at an inspiring event in Parliament.  The report comes from listening to 2,000 community leaders about their lives on the pathway to UK citizenship, sharing stories as well as powerful reasons for hope, and change. The event was attended by 80 community leaders from 42 constituencies and 2 ministers, and co-chaired by Helen Hayes MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and Citizens UK leader Grace Akinyemi. Community leaders shared powerful testimonies to MPs about the challenges they face while navigating the UK citizenship system. Did you know? 📌 500,000+ people lack settlement or citizenship despite living in the UK for over five years. 📌 A family of four on the 10-year route to settlement must pay a total cost of £37,000 in application fees, and over £73,000 including health surcharges. This is on top of normal taxation. 📌 80,000 people are excluded from public funds despite living in the UK for 11 to 20 years. These barriers have a significant impact on people's lives. As community leaders shared: 🗨️ "I know what it is to be a child with no status, to see your parents struggle & to be told that the only home you know - the country I was born in - is not your home at all." - Grace 🗨️ "I’ve worked and paid taxes for years, but my family still faces financial distress due to No Recourse to Public Fund's policies." - Nori 🗨️ "As a care leaver and child, I experienced how hard and confusing the immigration system is. I was placed in a hotel with adults at 16 and had to navigate the system alone, which was terrifying." - Wintana Our report calls for urgent action through three key policy recommendations: ✅ Making the process of obtaining citizenship for people who have made the UK their home a guiding principle of the migration system ✅ Protecting children and families who are on the pathway to citizenship ✅ Streamlining the application system to reduce backlogs and delays. At the event, we also launched the Citizenship Network, a cross-party parliamentary group committed to exploring solutions to the issues faced by people on the pathway to citizenship. MPs signed a pledge to work with community leaders directly impacted by the issues. We need to unlock the pathway to Citizenship for people rooted in our communities, so they are able to build permanent, fulfilling and settled lives in their communities. 📄 Read the full round up of the day and read the report: https://lnkd.in/ev9d8J89 #PathwayToCitizenship #RootedToRecognised 

Congratulations to Liverpool Citizens, our newest chapter, on a fantastic Founding Assembly! 🎉 Liverpool Citizens, the most recent addition to our expanding network of chapters throughout the UK, was formally launched on November 18 at the iconic St George's Hall in front of 590 attendees. With 17 member institutions representing the church, community, healthcare, education, and university sectors, Liverpool Citizens is already at the forefront of creating change driven by people. To hear from communities on topics including a true #LivingWage, transport and #mentalhealth, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, the Leader of Liverpool City Council and NHS and local transport representatives joined us. They pledged their commitment to working together for meaningful change. 👏 Liverpool Citizens, welcome to the movement! We're excited to see what you achieve. 💥 #LiverpoolCitizens #CommunityOrganising #PowerInPeople 📸 Photos by Franz Wheldon

Across our communities are thousands of family members, neighbours, and friends who have put down roots in the UK. But despite being born here, living in the UK for decades or building a life here, they are blocked from gaining citizenship by a system so confusing, lengthy and expensive that many are left fearful, isolated, stuck in limbo and at risk of destitution. People who have put down roots in their communities want to progress their lives & put their talents to good use. There’s no reason not to make this possible. Tomorrow, we launch our report calling for a more fair, timely, & affordable pathway to UK citizenship. #RootedToRecognised #PathwayToCitizenship https://lnkd.in/eD-4WySm

Education should be an equaliser, with schools as places where every child has an equal chance to thrive. 📚 Sadly, this is not yet the case. We have listened to a diverse range of children, young people, parents and educators who have told us about their experiences of racial inequity within the education system. That’s why we’re so pleased the Government is taking a step forward to address this by announcing a curriculum review - one of the priority asks for our Racial Equity in Education campaign. This could be a leap towards a more diverse and inclusive curriculum that truly includes everyone’s stories and experiences. Anyone can contribute - educators, members of the community, parents, children and young people. It’s time to make your voice heard. ✍🏾 Fill out the survey: https://bit.ly/4eFikYH (deadline: Friday 22 November 2024) 🗒 Read our guidance on filling out the survey: https://bit.ly/3Curny4

❗We need a reset. Hundreds of thousands of people have made the UK their home. They’ve put down roots, built families, and their hearts and homes are here. But with the current system stacked against people on the pathway to citizenship, many fall through the cracks and cannot access even the basic means to survive. The current pathway to UK citizenship is broken—long, expensive, and full of barriers. It leaves people stuck in limbo, unable to access jobs, education, or even basic welfare support. This system is leaving people in our communities at risk of destitution. It doesn’t have to be this way. In just two days, we launch our report for a fairer, more timely, and affordable pathway to citizenship—because everyone deserves to feel at home where they belong. https://lnkd.in/eD-4WySm #PathwaytoCitizenship #RootedToRecognised

It’s time for working hours you can count on. We’re calling on all Living Wage Employers to provide secure working hours for their employees. Inaccurate contracts and last-minute work changes and cancellations cost your employees time and money. Thanks to the cost of living crisis, we all have some idea of what it’s like to worry about money. Now take that worry and put it on repeat. Week by week. Month by month. It’s enough to impact anyone’s mental wellbeing. If you become Living Hours accredited, your employees will get working hours they can count on. Giving them the security they need to pay the bills, make plans, and save money for the future. #MakeItCount Will you join us in showing what good work looks like? Get Living Hours accredited: https://ow.ly/VkBT50U150b

💬 "My daughter dreams of seeing the London Eye, which is so far from us. There is a limitation on what we can do," Khadiga, Citizens UK community leader. 🚌 Today, we're celebrating a key step toward free bus travel for asylum seekers as the London Assembly passes a motion in support of our campaign. 🎥 Special thanks to Sufra NW London for capturing the heart of this mission in our campaign video and to the 25 organisations who have been campaigning with us to make this a reality. Watch the full campaign video: https://lnkd.in/eneeAHY5 #roomonthebus4us #inclusivecities

🎉 We're delighted that The London Assembly members from across the political spectrum have passed a motion for free bus travel for our neighbours seeking asylum. Everyone should be able to access essential services. With asylum seekers receiving just £8.86 a week and facing work restrictions, many are unable to afford travel. They face freezing long walks in the cold and miss critical appointments. It shouldn't be this way. That's why our community leaders across the country have been campaigning for free bus travel for asylum seekers and this week we have seen significant steps forward to creating more inclusive cities. Just today, The London Assembly gave their support to our campaign, a crucial step in making public transport in London more accessible to those seeking asylum. We ask the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, Seb Dance to work with us to make this a reality. Thank you to Greater London Authority assembly members Elly Baker and Anne Clarke for their leadership on this important issue. And just yesterday, Oxford Citizens secured a free bus travel pilot for asylum seekers, in partnership with Oxford City Council, led by Oxford Citizens member Asylum Welcome. This program will help people access vital services, attend appointments, and build stronger connections within the community. Let’s continue to push for more inclusive cities that ensure #roomonthebus4us. Read more about the Oxford pilot here: https://lnkd.in/eRyXHWE4 Find out about our campaign for free bus travel for asylum seekers: https://lnkd.in/ejXjQi-h

Taken a flight to or from #LondonCityAirport recently? Did you know that the workers there are paid a real #LivingWage? You can thank school students and teachers from East London Citizens for making sure of that! ✈️✈️ When East London Citizens started the Living Wage campaign 24 years ago, they couldn’t have known it would become one of the most successful movements of the past quarter of a century. Hear just one of their stories of winning change as a local primary school worked with community groups to convince London City Airport to become a @Living Wage Foundation accredited employer, winning pay rises for thousands across #London. #LivingWageWeek #YoungPeople #Education #CommunityOrganising https://lnkd.in/eH6nG4va