BARAC UK at Glastonbury 2025

A report from BARAC UK Team Member Natalia Levene, about their second year volunteering for us at Glastonbury Festival for Workers Beer Company. We are grateful to Natalia, team leader Leroy and the entire team for all their hard work raising funds for us while enjoying Glasto.

This was my second year attending Glastonbury as part of the BARAC UK team, volunteering with Workers Beer Company and it felt so good to be back.  One of the things I was most looking forward to, was being reunited with my teammates from last year. We were an inter-generational team aged between 20-60, and we travelled from Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, and Newcastle. 

A gorgeous blend of accents, from all walks of life united in our love for music and our commitment to fundraising. It was also great to see some of the volunteers from other organisations returning to the festival.  As volunteers we had a dedicated campsite, and the feeling of being surrounded by new and familiar faces, excited about what the week will bring is quite hard to put into words. There is a real sense of pride and purpose in the small roles we all play in contributing to the Glastonbury experience for over 200,000 festival attendees.

 This year the BARAC team worked at the Solstice Bar, which was next to the Other Stage. Positioned perfectly to listen to the live performances and catch a glimpse of the stage on our breaks. Although being so close to a main stage meant that we were put through our paces in between acts with lots of thirsty customers queuing at the bar. You don’t find out your shifts until you arrive at the farm, so we prayed to the festival gods that our rota would align with the acts we wanted to see. There was some heartbreak for our team missing out on Charlie XCX, but I was so grateful to be able to see Busta Rhymes, Fabio & Grooverider’s history of drum & bass set with a live orchestra and the performance I waited all weekend for, The Prodigy. I still get goosebumps when I think about the atmosphere during their performance of Firestarter. 

This year it was also great to see the Black at Glasto presence in Silver Hayes, a hub of connection for festival attendees of black heritage. I had the honour of facilitating an African-centred healing circle in the space and another teammate Jodie, led a yoga session. It was such a gift to share our skills and offer a moment of solace and connection to our community. 

Glastonbury really is the festival of all festivals, and to be able to enjoy it with a great group of people whilst fundraising for an incredible organisation like BARAC UK made it even more special. Thank you, BARAC UK, for the opportunity and thank you to Amos, Ettie India, Issy, Jodie and our team leader Leroy for being the team of dreams.

BARAC UK call to action: Jamaica mass deportation 18th May - model letter for MPs

 

Please use and feel free to adapt the model letter below and send urgently to your MP asking them to take action to stop the mass deportation flight to Jamaica scheduled for 18th of May 2022.

If you do not know how to contact your MP or who they are, use this link .

You just need your postcode to hand. 

Follow us on social media @baracuk on twitter and @baracukoriginal on instagram.

We are using the hashtags #Jamaica50 and #StopthePlane 

Model Letter to MPs 

Dear [Member of Parliament],

I am writing as a constituent to ask that you urgently oppose the mass deportation by charter flight to Jamaica, scheduled by the Home Office on 18^th of May. Mass deportation flights are a breach of human rights. There is evidence that the Caribbean community has been targeted disproportionately for deportations in addition to the horrific impacts of the Windrush scandal.

Amongst those targeted for deportation on these flights are young people who have been victims of modern day slavery, people who have made their home in the UK for decades, , who came to the UK as children, who are parents of British born and young children, who came to the country as refugees, including people who have had to flee persecution. Most are the children and grandchildren of the Windrush Generation and they are their families have contributed to the UK economy and wider society over many decades. Invited here to help the UK recover post World War II.

 

Over the past two years there have been outbreaks of coronavirus in detention centres in and those detained have reported a woeful and unacceptable lack of PPE and wider safety measures. People being deported are transported in packed vans, often handcuffed to escorts, on long journeys to airports, where they then are chained to their seats and to two guards. Given that black and minority ethnic people have contracted and died of covid disproportionately, this is irresponsible to put people who are at high risk already, in this position. This has included people with serious medical conditions.

In addition, the vast majority have British children, partners and wider family here. Tearing parents apart from loved ones including children is inhumane and causes distress and trauma to children and is unlawful, breaching the human rights of children and families. 

The fast turnaround of deportations leaves inadequate time to access legal advice and representation which has been made worse because access to the computer rooms at detention centres have been closed or with limited and restricted access. There have also been reports of fax machines and computers not working meaning that people detained cannot communicate with legal representatives. Access to legal support is a fundamental human right.

Once deported, people face destitution, trauma and persecution, with some having fled persecution in the first place, this impacts severely on both physical and mental health. We know that some people have sadly been killed or taken their own lives subsequently. 

 I am asking that you take urgent action, including writing to the Home Secretary calling for this flight to be cancelled and to call for an end to charter flight mass deportations. 

 

 

Regards,

[Your Name]

 

 

Please add your full postal address to confirm you are a constituent. 

 

Find your MP here: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/

 

MAKE A DONATION TO BARAC UK, TO BARAC HUMANITARIAN AID AND / OR AFFILIATE TO BARAC UK

 

BARAC AFFILIATION and DONATION FORM

 

To affiliate or make a donation to Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK please complete and return this form together with a cheque or alternatively pay directly into our account bank account.

 

Donations to BARAC Humanitarian Aid, which provides food and essentials to refugees in Northern France and people with no recourse to public funds here in the UK, you can donate using the bank details below or make your donation via our crowdfunder:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-raise-funds-for-food-essentials-for-refugees

 

 

 · I wish to affiliate to BARAC UK annually;

£10 Individual concession

£20 Individual waged

 £50 Local organisation

 £100 Trade union branch or Trades Council

£200 National trade union or organisation

 

 · I wish to give a donation towards BARAC’s work; £250 £100 £50 £35 £25 £10 Other

 

 £ .….….….….….

 

·        I wish to make a donation to BARAC Humanitarian Aid;

 

 

£……………….

 

· I enclose a cheque for a total of £ ..........

 

made out to BARAC UK or Black Activists Rising Against Cuts

 · I have paid the following amount £……….. into the BARAC Bank Account:

 

BARAC UK Bank details:

Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK

Barclays Bank

Sort Code 20 67 90

Account No. 53317803

 

 

Signature:

 

 Date:

 

Name of Organisation (if applicable)

 

Name:

 

Position:

 

Address:

 

 Tel no.:

 

 Email:

 

 

 

 

Please return affiliation form (and cheque) to:

 

 BARAC UK C/O Zita Holbourne, National Co-Chair BARAC UK PCS HQ 160 Falcon Road, London, SW11 2LN

 

 Alternatively email to: barac.info@gmail.com

 

Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK Web: www.blackactivistsrisingagainstcuts.blogspot.com

 Twitter: @baracuk

Facebook: BARAC UK

Instagram: BARACUKoriginal

Take action against the Nationality and Borders Bill - join the protests and complete the online actions

 

We are campaigning against the Nationality and Borders Bill which if passed, could create a new Windrush Scandal on an even larger scale.  Given that the Windrush Lessons Learns recommendations have not been implemented since publication almost two years ago, it is clear that the government do not plan to learn lessons as they are intent on new legislation which further reduces and breaches the human rights of  migrant communities and their descendants and families  and those seeking asylum for those who are displaced, fleeing the impacts of climate change, conflict, persecution and poverty. 

We oppose many aspects of the bill, including the impact on refugees on small boats trying to get to the UK, reducing their rights and access to asylum, push back of small boats into the sea breaching human rights and maritime laws, removing support from survivors of human trafficking and stripping citizenship from people, including those born in the UK but with a parent born abroad.

These are just some of the draconian and racist aspects of the bill which  if passed would create another Windrush Scandal on a much larger scale and breach a range of international human rights laws.

The measures the government wish to introduce will disproportionately impact on black and brown people.

We are actively campaigning to oppose the bill and working in coalition of various groups to do this.

Firstly we are co-founders of the Citizenship is a Right coalition which brings together a range of civil society and race equality groups  in opposition to the bill.

 

Here are some actions you can take:

1. The bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords and so we are lobbying members of the Lords around various amendments including Clause 9 which relates to the stripping of citizenship. We have held one protest outside parliament recently and we are mobilising for another protest to take place on Sunday 27th of February at 12 noon, assembling at the Home Office in Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF  and marching to Parliament Square.  Nearest tube stations are St James Park, Victoria and Westminster. 

If you are able to, we would appreciate you joining us on the day.

2. We also encourage you to write to your local MP to ask them to take action against the bill when it comes back to the House of Commons. Plus your local councillors and candidates in forthcoming elections. 

You can contact your local representatives via www.writetothem.com  which will  provide you will a template to write to your MP, Assembly members and local councillors and also provides details of how to write to a member of the House of Lords.

3. We are also supporting and speaking at a demo called by Another Europe Is Possible to coincide with the return from recess for parliament  on Monday 21st of February at 5.30pm, more details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/524500899048750

We are  co-signatories of a letter and petition led by After Exploitation which is in opposition to part 5 of the bill which seeks to reduce support for survivors of human trafficking and modern day slavery: 

Read the letter here; https://afterexploitation.com/open-letter-scrap-part-5-to-protect-survivors-of-modern-slavery/

4. Join the e-action and right to your MP here using the template letter - you just need your postcode: http://afterexploitation.eaction.org.uk/scraptheplan

We are using the hashtags: #citizenshipisaright #killthebills #refugeeswelcome 

You can follow the campaign and keep up to date with action  as follows:

Facebook    Citizenship is a Right

Twitter and Instagram   @citizenshipIAR

 

Together we can fight the attacks on our civil liberties and human rights proposed in this bill. 

Thank you for your support. 

 Zita Holbourne

National Chair, on behalf of: 

 BARAC UK 

 

artwork copyright Zita Holbourne; Poet~Artist~Activist 

Support BARAC UK and other good causes supported by trade unions - Union Lotto launched

In association with the General Federation of Trade Unions GFTU, BARAC UK has launched a union lotto page. Play the lottery with a 1 in 50 chance of winning and at the same time raise funds for BARAC UK . Tickets cost just £1 per week. 

Playing the lottery

Union Lotto is an exciting weekly lottery that raises money for good causes in affiliated Trade Unions. All good causes supported by the lottery will benefit affiliated Trade Unions and its residents.

Play the lottery, support affiliated Trade Unions - it’s that simple!

Tickets for the lottery cost just £1 a week. Each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week, with a top prize of £25,000! That’s a better chance of winning than the National Lottery or the Health Lottery.

Each ticket has six numbers and each number is between 0 and 9. There will be a draw every Saturday night when a six digit winning combination will be picked. Prizes will be given to players with tickets that match the first or last 2 to 6 numbers from the winning combination. Match all six and you win the jackpot!

Find out more and purchase a ticket for just £1 here 

BARAC UK provides a much needed  and valued service for communities, workers and service users, campaigning  for equality  and justice, including  against the disproportionate impacts of cuts and the pandemic on Black, Asian and minority ethnic and migrant communities  for justice for the Windrush Generation and their descendants and for human rights. We organise  regular solidarity and humanitarian  aid missions to support  refugees  and displaced people in Northern France who have fled the impacts of persecution,  climate change, poverty and conflict. and people with no recourse to public funds. 

We need your help so we can continue to offer and even expand our  campaigning,  solidarity and support.

Thank you for your support and good luck!

Yours sincerely,

BARAC UK

https://www.unionlotto.org/support/barac-uk

Support BARAC UK in our humanitarian aid work and campaigning against racism and injustice and for human rights

 We have started a new crowdfunder to continue our work bringing solidary and humanitarian aid to people who are displaced and refugees in Northern France. Our next mission will be in November so we are seeking your support to maximise the food and essentials we are able to take. 

Click here to donate

For several years, we at BARAC UK have been organising humanitarian aid missions to support people who are displaced  and are refugees.  These are people who have fled persecution, the impacts of climate change, conflict and poverty. They are stuck in limbo in France, with the hope of being reunited with loved ones in the UK, following months of perilous journeys.

We believe in practical solidarity so as well as campaigning for migrant and refugee rights we wanted to do something that was practical  also.

Over recent years we have facilitated regular bi-monthly or quarterly missions to take aid and solidarity and support people, organising fundraising events and activities and then travelling to France to distribute food,  clothes, toiletries, camping equipment, blankets and sleeping bags and what ever is most needed at the time.  Joining BARAC have been other grassroots race equality groups and students to support the work we are doing and to go with us to France.  We have worked directly with people who are refugees and with charities on the ground to cater for cultural, dietary and religious needs in addition to urgent and practical needs.

During the pandemic over the past 18 months plus, we have been unable to carry out an aid mission so instead we did fundraising and donated directly to the Refugee Community Kitchen as well as supporting people here in the UK with no recourse to public funds who were destitute.

We are planning to take aid and solidarity in late November, working with our regular partner organisations in France, the Refugee Community Kitchen, L'Auberge des Migrant and Help Refugees.

We will spend the funds raised on food  and cooking ingredients and if we raise enough also  on warm clothes, sleeping bags, blankets, toiletries and other essential items.  

People who are refugees in France have no shelter, no camp, they are living out in the open and it becomes very wet and bitterly cold during the winter, especially at night.   Most of them are children  or young people in their early twenties, many have lost their parents and are alone.   They have experienced trauma and loss. 

We have been supported over the years by both grassroots migrant rights and race equality organisations and the trade union movement including the TUC Black Workers Conference and PCS Union.

We appreciate that the pandemic has impacted financially on everyone, but for those who are refugees or with no recourse to public funds, it has been even harder so no donation is too small as they all add up. Our fundraising support has always been facilitated by people power.  We have raised over £20,000 since we started doing this. 

We thank you for your support as we can't do this without you. 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/help-raise-funds-for-food-essentials-for-refugees

BARAC UK Ten Year anniversary zoom event and launch of the film Is Britain Racist, 21st of June

BARAC UK turns ten years old next week. We cannot believe that ten years has passed either. We started as a campaign against the forthcoming disproportionate impact of austerity on black workers, service users and communities in June 2010 and never anticipated that we would still be here ten years later. Hand in Hand with austerity came deepening racism and injustice which has continued to this very day. In the ten years since we were formed we have campaigned against institutional racism, every day racism, racism and injustice at work, in the labour market,  in education, in wider society, in the arts and culture sector, in policing and public institutions, we have co-founded several other groups including Movement Against Xenophobia,  Elbow Out Ebola,  BME Lawyers 4 Grenfell, BAME Lawyers for Justice and we have campaigned against deaths at the hands of the state and human rights abuses globally.  We have campaigned for refugee and migrant rights and for seven years coordinated regular humanitarian aid  and solidarity work, fundraising and raising thousands of pounds and conducting regular aid missions to people who are displaced in France. . Our work has been recognised nationally and internationally and we have worked with our sisters and brothers for global justice.  We have organised numerous marches, protests, lobbies of parliament,  direct actions. Our campaigns have included Windrush Day of Action, MLK50 Equality In Our Lifetime, I am an Immigrant Campaign, Dear White People film campaign, ending with our national chair co-hosting  a Leicester Square premier film screening, we have been joined in the UK and supported by the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, we forced the British Olympics Association to do a U-turn and much more. During the past few years we have had a big focus on  Windrush justice and campaigning against the 'hostile environment' more widely.

BARAC UK was co-founded by Zita Holbourne and Lee Jasper who were the co-chairs until Lee stepped down and Zita took up the role of National Chair. 

We want to thank all of the people that kept us going and supported and stood with us,  especially the activists who led the local BARAC structures in different cities, a big shout out goes to Colette Williams and Maurice Shaw   - Manchester BARAC co-chairs,  Maxie Hayles - Birmingham BARAC Chair, Pauline North, Bristol BARAC Chair, Graham Campbell, Scotland BARAC Chair and all the other convenors, activists and members of BARAC.

We thank all those partner orgs and individuals  we have  worked with, those who affiliated with us and worked with us including trade unions with a special thank you to the Public and Commercial Services Union who have supported our journey from the very start and continue to do so.

We thank everyone who has supported our campaigns over the years, attended events and demos, answered our call for action to challenge racism, injustice and cuts and to support our humanitarian aid work.  We see you and appreciate you. 

Sunday 21st June is the 10 year anniversary of BARAC UK & the eve of National Windrush Day . We will be holding a zoom event from 3 to 4.30pm launching the full length documentary Is Britain Racist made by film maker Jean-Marc Aka-Kadjo over a 2 year period charting the Windrush Scandal and BARAC and others campaigning opposing it, on the eve of Windrush Day we want to highlight the ongoing injustice and will be showing segments of the film plus holding a discussion on Windrush, Coronavirus impacts on black communities and Black Lives Matter with co founder and National Chair of BARAC UK , Zita Holbourne  plus National Women's Officer Donna Guthrie and International Officer Hector Wesley with q&a & discussion.  

Jean - Marc Aka-Kadjo says:

This documentary will take you on a journey that shows the hopes, dreams and aspirations of those who came to Britain during the Windrush era from various countries within the Commonwealth. The film is candid and exposes and reveals truth. Individual interviews, news feeds and archive footage have been utilised to show how the lives of individuals from the Windrush era, and the lives of their loved ones, have been affected by the recent changes in British law…and what is being done to help them. 

Zita Holbourne, Chair of BARAC UK says:

We have fought for justice, equality, rights and freedom for many years, way before BARAC UK was formed and will continue to do so. The deepening racism  and injustice our communities face globally demonstrate that our organisation and many others like it are still needed  and will be needed for some time. The impacts of coronavirus on black communities are huge - with black people over 4 times more likely to die, this has a direct link to discrimination and poverty and globally people, predominantly young have take to the streets over the past fortnight crying out that black lives matter, because George Floyd was murdered by police in the USA but also because many more have died because of racism in the USA, in the UK and around the world, because institutional racism and every day racism destroys lives, because we are still far from having race equality. We have supported and campaigned for decolonisation of our towns and cities and universities and curriculums for many years and we are glad that there is now a serious discussion about the glorification of historic statues  of people who enslaved and murdered our ancestors and who endorsed and allowed racism to thrive and who were complicit in enslavement and colonialism.  In 2017 we published our 2025 vision for race equality and it is interesting to see that some institutions and businesses now are only just starting to consider their own part in allowing institutional racism to continue in their own organisations - for those organisations to say black lives matter is all very well but actions speak louder than words.

 You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Jun 21, 2020 15:00 London

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pd-yurDgrHd1php1RBAFKCbzLjm73priw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. from baracwomens@gmail.com.

Please see attached flyer.

There is also a facebook link below to share on social media.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1722934767871969/ 

A selection of photos from recent years follows: