“I’ve been able to work with people who others couldn’t reach. Helping someone reconnect with their own power and their own value is the best feeling in the world. It keeps me going.”
Sharon Foster has been named TUC South West’s rep of the month.
Sharon Foster is a true giant of our movement; as she approaches 40 years of work dedicated to equality and access (with no sign of slowing down), she has transformed every organisation and committee she has come across, weaving trade union activism into an eye-watering amount of activism and advocacy.
Starting out as a shop steward for NALGO (now UNISON) and securing a seat on the Black Employees Working Group at Bristol City Council, Sharon says, “I did my stewards work while representing the whole workforce on the task group. We would have an additional union meeting, and I would promote the union to the wider group by feeding back everything the union did to address the issues.”
Sharon has led on work ranging from being a magistrate and presiding chair in the Bristol adult court, a governor, a trustee for Bristol’s twin cities with Beira, and much more. Recently, she served as High Sheriff for Bristol; leveraging her unique position to dramatically increase cross-community engagement and shine a spotlight on the need for proper inclusion in schools.
Going forward, she plans to continue engaging at the heart of issues of inequality plaguing our communities. And at every turn, her union membership and community guides her forward, while she guides us in exchange. She sets the tone for how the role of a union steward can uplift everyone across a wide range of issues and civic engagement channels; she is willing to pursue every avenue she can find in her pursuit of equality and justice.
“You can speak out, and you should speak out. There are laws that are there to protect you – you just need to find the right person or people. There are people there to guide and help you. Never give up on what you believe in.”
This year, Sharon won the Women’s Gold Badge award at TUC Congress (pictured) in recognition of her incredible legacy and ongoing work.
