Could you help us to:

• Identify and develop existing European links in Stroud District e.g twinning groups, exchange groups, friendship groups. We are planning to set up a bursary scheme to support Stroud young people to work or study in EU countries.

• Help establish relationships with local companies and organisations that might support such bursaries and/or host European visitors.

• Work with other Supporters to devise a strategy for supporting EU nationals to apply for Settled Status.

• Help Stroud4Europe set up this website. Anyone with experience of designing and/or maintaining a website please get in touch.

Stroud4Europe Supporters’ Meeting Notes

Monday January 25th 2021 7:30 p.m. Zoom

Presentation on Make Votes Matter (MVM)

MVM is a cross party organisation working for PR. The well received presentation was from a member of S4E on the coordinating body of Stroud MVM.

Q and A

• Does MVM favour a particular form of PR? - That would preferably be decided by a Citizens’ Assembly. It took some 20 years for NZ to move to a PR system! Hopefully UK can be quicker…
• Support for PR within Labour Party? - MVM working, successfully, with Constituency Labour Parties to encourage support for PR. Also need popular support and from the unions to get it into the Labour manifesto. Some politicians from all parties are in favour of PR.
• Some voters supported Brexit as one of only ways to get their voices heard. - Support for PR could follow same logic.
• Stroud District Council asked the government if the next local elections could be based on PR. Request refused. Scotland and soon Wales are using PR for local elections.
• Labour Party constitution requires candidates in all seats and illegal to stand down in favour of other parties.
• Electoral Reform Society has information on different voting systems:

www.electoral-reform.org.uk

S4E supporters in favour of PR can support MVM’s work, locally - email: mvm.stroud@gmail.com and nationally https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/

The way forward for Stroud4Europe with an emphasis on activities with positive messages

Very few positive messages from Brexit but S4E can move forward by focusing on benefits of European cooperation and integration whilst noting negative impact of Brexit on Stroud and UK. The Davis Downside Dossier updated regularly on https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/the-davis-downside-dossier/ has an excellent list of Brexit related problems in the UK.

It was agreed to limit focus at present to a few key activities aiming to maintain and rebuild connections with other European countries. The first two were the most popular:

Support for young people to engage in “Erasmus” type activities.

• Highlight benefit of working and studying in other European countries by publishing stories about Erasmus experiences in the EU and those European students hosted in Stroud district.

• Use some of our S4E funds and generate additional funding from supporters, councils, businesses and charities to fund bursaries for European experiences for young people.

Research and support existing twinning and other European links

• Make contact with local twinning organisations re. above and to advertise S4E
• Support additional advertising of twinning links on parish and district notice boards at entry points.
• Look into developing new twinning links? Good number of Romanian, Bulgarian and Polish families now in the area? Suggestion that linking with a large town would have more impact.

Supporting nationals from other European countries living and working in Stroud

Concern that EU nationals are not being treated equally in relation to access to vaccines. This is the case if you don’t have an NHS number.

Who is supporting applications for Settled Status? Some parish councils are advertising need to apply. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants https://www.jcwi.org.uk/ offers help. Is there a role for S4E e.g. contacting care homes offering to help or signposting?

Stroud4Europe channels of communication

• Website? Writing copy, inputting, updating and monitoring are long term responsibilities. Need to ensure we have the capacity and enthusiasm to do this. Volunteers needed!

• YouTube channel? May be more effective way to transmit messages – can be open to abuse.

• SNJ – use the SNJ to “relaunch” S4E on basis of our revised mission statement, asking for volunteers and advertising the activities above.

• West England Bylines - https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/ Welcomes copy on all things European/Brexit.

AOB

Launch or support a rejoin party? This is not something the committee is promoting at this stage. There is a number of national pro-European organisations e.g. European Movement https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/ and Grassroots for Europe https://grassrootsforeurope.org/ advocating and campaigning for close relationships with the EU.

Next steps

• Ask supporters for help to: identify existing twinning / exchange groups, ideally with names of contacts; explore and share news of and links with local companies and organisations which might support bursaries or exchanges; Identify volunteers to develop and maintain S4E website

• Devise strategy for supporting EU nationals to apply for Settled Status.

Date of next meeting –March 2020 – date to be confirmed.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Stroud for Europe website. This is currently under development.

Some notes

Agenda

• The revised mission statement and constitution are attached. We’d love to have your views on where YOU think Stroud4Europe should be going in this changing landscape.

Agenda - Monday October 19th 7.30

1. Welcome and introductions
2. Thoughts on the current political scene and trade deal
3. Proposed change of emphasis for Stroud4Europe - discussion to include:
   • New mission statement and constitution (copy attached below)
   • Activities to reflect the new focus Support for EU nationals in Stroud
4. AOB
5. Date of next meeting