New Peterborough Citizens UK groups aims for ‘social justice’ in the city

Citizens UK aims to “return power to people” to allow them to “influence people who hold power in government, business or public life”.

The organisation has branches across the country, including now in Peterborough, with its impact already being felt in the city with school currently lobbying for changes to mental health support.

Peterborough Citizens UK associate organiser Dilraj Kaur told the Peterborough Telegraph: “We create power through a civic alliance for social justice and the common good.

“We launched in Peterborough in September and there has been a real hungry appetite of wanting social justice, work and change within the city.”

Explaining how the organisation works, Dilraj stated: “You go and bring decision makers into the room. You don’t just go out there and protest.

“For example, you hold a public event and get the decision makers involved over the issues of rent and the issues of low wage within Peterborough.

“For instance, do we need to get employers involved and signing up for the living wage? What practical actions do we need to do to have our voices heard?

“You can’t create change alone, but together we can. We give people the leadership skills.”

Among those to sign up so far to Peterborough Citizens UK are city schools and colleges, as well as trade unions, faith leaders and charities.

Dilraj hopes that together they can inspire change in Peterborough to mirror the impact Citizens UK has made nationally, with the organisation stating on its website that its achievements include “founding the Living Wage campaign and encouraging major businesses to pay higher wages, achieving major changes to the asylum system and taking on loan sharks to win a cap on the cost of credit”.

The aim of Citizens UK is to teach local organisations and individuals “a method of community organising so they can take power and achieve change on the issues that matter to them”.

An early example of this in Peterborough is a young people’s mental health summit attended by city MP Paul Bristow and local mental health experts which saw pupils from a number of schools sharing their stories.

Dilraj added: “Paul pledged to support us in getting a meeting with the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) and getting support for young people with mental health.

“We’ve done a lot of work in such a small space of time.”

January will see a mental health summit hosted by The King’s School which Dilraj said will be attended by the CCG, which commissions health services in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

And the following month a Citizens Delegates Assembly is being attended by organisations in Peterborough to explain the issues they’re hearing about and to decide on what changes they want to see in the city going forward.

Dilraj said: “We’ve asked two questions: what upsets you within Peterborough and what is putting pressure on you in Peterborough?

“Through organising this we will really hear what the issues in Peterborough are so we can campaign on them and create a power of alliance. The more organisations that get involved the more we can create power in the voices of Peterborough. We’ve got many, many successful stories.”

Asked who should join Peterborough Citizens UK, Diilraj replied: “It’s anyone with a passion for change who is frustrated and wants their voice heard but perhaps doesn’t have the skills to do it. We give them the skills.”

To join, email [email protected].