Changes to UNA-UK Membership
Over the last 18 months, UNA-UK has been engaged in an extensive process of reviewing our engagement structures - how our members, supporters, and network of UNA Groups interact with us as an organisation and contribute to the work we do collectively. Our aim has been to simplify our structures, to better harness the enthusiasm and ideas of all those engaged with UNA-UK and to allow everyone to contribute in the manner that best suits their circumstances.
Since initiating this review process we have collected feedback through three surveys, hosted over ten open meetings, and worked with the Elected Trustees of UNA-UK to constitute a Working Group of members which met over twelve times to develop proposals for reform.
The reforms proposed by the Elected Trustees’ Working Group included the aim of moving away from a membership-fee requirement to a voluntary contribution model, which unified members and supporters by extending membership rights to all. However, the legal process for implementing this change in our constituting articles has been more complicated than anticipated, we have chosen not to proceed with removing fees and unifying members and supporters at this stage.
UNA-UK continues to be committed to making our movement more accessible, more diverse and to reducing barriers to inclusion as much as possible. We want to make membership simpler and more affordable. In this spirit, what we are doing is making significant changes to our membership-fee structure:
- UNA-UK Membership is now £10 per year - giving you access to our online publications, invitations to events, and the opportunity to stand and vote in our internal elections.
Replacing multiple categories, our membership is now one category and priced at a lowered rate that makes membership more affordable than ever.
We now require three simple criteria in order to be considered a UNA-UK member:
- a £10 per year membership fee;
- a valid email address; and
- a valid postal address
Another of the key areas for reform highlighted by the Elected Trustees' Working Group was the process for administering UNA Group mailing lists. Recognising both the need to simplify our administrative requirements - allowing more time and resources to be devoted to supporting our grassroots network on the issues we all care about - and the benefit of devolving greater autonomy to UNA Groups themselves, to control their mailing lists in the manner that works best for them.
Whilst we haven't been able to make all of the simplifications originally entailed by the unification of members and supporters, we are still committed to changing the system for sharing Group mailing lists and we also hope this reduction in membership-fees will make it easier for UNA Groups to recruit and retain members. Going forward we will no longer be collecting affiliation details for each Group from every member and supporter. Instead we will be implementing a UNA Group directory page on our website, pointing members and supporters from across the UK to engage directly with UNA Groups and removing the multiple contact points that have confused many members and Groups previously.
If you have any questions about what these changes mean for you, please consult the FAQs section below, which will be continuously updated going forward, and if you cannot find an answer to your question you can also email info@una.org.uk and a member of the team will be happy to help.
FAQs Membership
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are you making changes to membership?
A: To make it easier for individuals to engage with UNA-UK and easier for us to support them.
We want to give every person the opportunity to engage with UNA-UK and reduce financial barriers to joining our people’s movement. At a time when support for the international rules-based system and global cooperation is more important than ever, we hope to make it easier than ever to join UNA-UK as a member and stand with us in support of these values.
Q: I am already a member of UNA-UK, will the amount I pay in membership fees be changing?
A: Going forward, everyone will pay the same reduced-rate of £10 per year.
We are replacing our multiple staggered fee options with one category that is priced at a lowered rate, to reduce barriers to inclusion and make it more affordable to be a UNA-UK member. When you come to renew your membership, regardless of which plan you have previously been on, you will be charged a singular fee of £10 for the entire year.
Q: Will I still be entitled to the current benefits and opportunities UNA-UK membership provides?
A: Yes and yes!
Whilst we reduce the fees for membership of UNA-UK we are not reducing any of the entitlements and opportunities membership provides. Members will continue to:
- Receive our regular newsletters and have access to UNA-UK digital publications.
- Have the opportunity to attend UNA-UK conferences and events.
- Be able to stand and vote in UNA-UK Trustee elections and in the elections for UNA-UK conference committee.
Q: How will these changes impact UNA Groups?
A: They devolve greater control to UNA Groups and aim to support them by reducing the administrative difficulties they have faced and making recruiting members easier.
UNA-UK draws great strength from our network of UNA Groups across the UK and these changes have been developed with the feedback and suggestions of UNA Groups in mind.
Whilst we haven't been able to make all of the simplifications originally entailed by the unification of members and supporters, we are still committed to changing the system for sharing Group mailing lists and we hope this reduction in membership-fees will make it easier for UNA Groups to recruit and retain members.
Mailing lists for each UNA Group will no longer be centrally administered by UNA-UK. Instead we are implementing a UNA Group directory page on our website, directing members and supporters from across the UK to engage directly with UNA Groups and devolving complete autonomy to UNA Groups to control their mailing lists in the way the works best for them.