This fund is available for SWU members to set campaign priorities and engage in activism through 2024/2025
SWU has partnered with Campaign Collective to continue helping our members engage in activism and campaigning throughout 2024/2025.
The SWU Campaign Fund was established in 2021 to support our activist members by providing them with access to professional support for issues and causes they’re passionate about, and is managed by Campaign Collective.
SWU members can submit a campaign idea for funding by filling out the SWU Campaign Fund Application Form.
SWU General Secretary John McGowan said
“This is a terrific way for SWU to support member led campaigns. Our members are passionate about their union being actively involved in campaigning, and this rekindled partnership with Campaign Collective will help us be even more engaged in activism and continue to make a positive impact. This also builds on our present funding of the Austerity Action Group.”
Simon Francis, who is a Campaign Collective founding member, said:
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Social Workers Union. The challenges facing social workers and the people they work with are urgent and pressing. Yet too often the media and politicians fail to recognise the issues social workers face on the frontline. We hope this campaign fund will start to address this imbalance and ensure the voices of the vulnerable and of social workers are better heard.”
SWU Campaign Fund Updates
Progress in Scottish students’ campaign welcomed (29 October 2024)
New campaign aims to provide better mental health care for most vulnerable in society (8 July 2024)
Proportion of social work roles offered part-time grows slightly but remains less than a quarter (7 June 2024, Community Care)
Social workers call for an increase in student social work bursaries in Northern Ireland (22 May 2024)
Meeting with Ofcom discusses social workers in the media (13 May 2024)
SWU figures used in cold homes warning to members of the Scottish Parliament (9 May 2024)
Neurodiversity pledge for social work employers (16 April 2024)
Party leaders warned of household mould crisis (12 April 2024)
Diaspora Dialogues Conference – A Momentous Event (9 April 2024)
Countdown is on to neurodiversity pledge launch (9 April 2024)
SWU and Independent survey highlights how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting social workers and the people they support (5 April 2024)
SWU Campaign Fund continues to support Social Workers (19 March 2024)
Stop making overseas social workers scapegoat for government failings (13 March 2024)
Social work in Wales: how student numbers have grown following bursary boost (12 March 2024, Community Care)
The importance of union membership for Diaspora Social Workers (12 March 2024)
Students in Scotland demand publication of funding report (28 February 2023)
Social work students and lecturers in England are invited to an open event on January 16th to discuss proposals for a fairer bursaries system (14 December 2023)
Social work students in Scotland win post-graduate funding reform (1 December 2023)
Social work neurodiversity task force meets (18 October 2023)
Social Workers Union calls on Labour to meet with students (5 October 2023, Morning Star article)
SWU Union Contacts examine campaign successes (3 October 2023)
Secure help to campaign to change the problems you see (19 September 2023)
Students in Scotland are still waiting on bursaries decision (11 September 2023)
Social worker students unable to live on inadequate bursaries (1 September 2023, Morning Star article)
“Warm words but no action” on English social work bursaries (31 August 2023)
SWU submits evidence to formal review of student bursaries in Scotland (3 August 2023)
Over 400 social work students write to ministers over bursary failures (27 July 2023)
Social work students honoured for activism (13 July 2023)
Social Workers Union calls for meeting with broadcast industry (6 July 2023)
Campaign Fund calls for bids from Wales – SWU and BASW Cymru Community of Practice (29 June 2023)
Review promised into social work student bursaries in Scotland (28 June 2023)
SWU event outlines how social workers can seek help from press regulator (20 June 2023)
Life on a social work student’s income: ‘I’d never buy myself something unless it was a necessity’ (16 June 2023, Community Care article)
Labour urged to include social work in Manifesto plans (16 June 2023)
Campaign Fund calls for bids from Wales (9 June 2023)
Sluggish growth in part-time social work roles (9 June 2023)
Sign the open letter to support social work students across England calling for bursary reform (23 May 2023)
Event announced to help social workers understand media complaints process (16 May 2023)
SWU and BASW NI discuss future joint campaigns (4 May 2023)
Social Work Students urged to join England bursary campaign (4 May 2023)
Social workers urged to report negative media coverage to union (21 April 2023, Community Care article)
SWU and BASW call for bursary reform to be included in Labour manifesto (17 April 2023)
Reshuffle prompts social work students in Scotland to write to new ministers (13 April 2023)
Regulator’s Readers’ Panel discusses coverage of social workers (11 April 2023)
A cross-party committee of MSPs back social work bursaries petition (22 March 2023)
MSPs will debate a petition calling for bursaries for social work students on 22 March 2023 (16 March 2023)
Secretary of State questioned on England social work bursaries (10 March 2023)
Social work students in Scotland set for their day in Parliament (6 March 2023)
Student social workers discuss bursaries with Minister Jamie Hepburn (24 January 2023)
Social work students in England call for campaign fund support (17 January 2023)
11 campaigns launched by the SWU Campaign Fund and room for more! (16 January 2023)
Scottish Government Minister agrees to meet social work students to discuss bursaries (22 December 2022)
National Union of Journalists meets with SWU to discuss media guidelines (20 December 2022)
Petition launched after ministers snub social work students’ call for fair treatment in Scotland (8 December 2022)
SWU Campaign Fund has renewed funding through 2022-2023 (29 November 2022)
SWU media guidelines take next step in gaining recognition from press (22 November 2022)
SWU webinar: Social workers help to set out stepping stones to better working conditions (21 November 2022)
SWU Campaign Fund supports social work students in Scotland to campaign on bursaries (7 November 2022)
Social Work Leaders Write to National Media (18 October 2022)
Guidelines on media reporting of social workers launched (22 September 2022)
Student led campaign increases financial support for social work students in Wales (29 July 2022)
SWU Campaign Fund 2021 – 2022 (5 July 2022)
Employers failing to advertise part-time social work roles, finds study (9 June 2022, Community Care article)
Social work employers urged to offer more part-time posts to address recruitment crisis (9 June 2022, PSW article)
7 Campaigns and room for more (19 April 2022)
#FoodIsCare Survey: Rampant food insecurity hitting most vulnerable (15 February 2022)
Welsh Government pledges action on bursaries following student campaign (2 February 2022)
“Unmanageable” social work caseloads putting vulnerable at risk (27 January 2022)
SWU Campaign Fund launches the #FoodIsCare campaign (29 November 2021)
SWU Campaign Fund delivers first round of funding for member led campaigns (9 November 2021)
SWU Campaign Fund now accepting applications (2 September 2021)
SWU and Campaign Collective to support member led campaigns (3 August 2021)