Events

Brian Hepworth was a member of our local group “South Manchester WDM” having joined us by signing up in 2014 on the Yahoo group we used then. He came at the suggestion of a friend (Tom Skinner) and was initially apologetic for his age (then 64) as he was older than most activists he knew.

Age however never stopped his enthusiasm, nor jaded with cynicism his passion to put things right in the world.

Brian had a bumpy life. He carried the emotional scars of being separated from his family and this was doubly poignant as his childhood had been blighted by the removal of his mother. He found solace in a developed circle of friends around the world, some of whom he had met through churches, some through causes, some through the internet. (Talking with him in his last fortnight one was “paused” when his mobile brought someone calling from SE Asia to his flat on the Chester Road in Stretford. The call developed into his helping them rather than being a passive recipient of pity.)

Brian had come to Christian faith when in Bristol and this orientated the way he looked at the world and led him to be outward looking when he could easily have retreated into himself. However he wasn’t content with staying in a cosy huddle and this led to his involvement with many secular organisations and causes where he saw injustice being tackled. Some (like GJN) tackle worldwide issues, others more local such as those campaigning on homelessness or fracking.

He also had traveled widely on limited budgets and brought his memories of real experiences to support the campaigning that many of us do informed only by the proxy of NGO briefings or Guardian articles.

Living alone and on limited means he used PCs in the public library and a non-smartphone but informed himself by buying phrasebooks and atlases. Sometimes one might feel his ideas were strange- in his last weeks much of his flat was lined with aluminum foil to protect him from new generation mobile phone radiation. However he was no fool; despite having dropped out of university and worked much of his life as a bus-driver, he confidently engaged and built a reciprocally respectful relationship with his MP, Kate Green.

On the 24th. May 2019 he emailed telling of the ending of his chemotherapy. He was resigned to death and concluded:

“… I am still hopeful and comforted in the Lord. Thank you all for prayers and concerns. The Lord is good and praise Him! 

Brian”

His last substantial campaigning initiative was a race against time as he appreciated his days were numbered. Having worked as a bus driver for years and dying of lung cancer he felt a special burden to expose the damage caused by the particular emissions from idling buses at stops and depots. Having spoken with drivers and got nowhere with writing to TfGM, he tried to write to Andy Burnham. Defeated by his weakness stopping him concentrating at the computer, he agreed to recording a video message which we did and sent to the GM Mayor’s office.

There were delays and in desperation Brian gave permission the story to be shared with the M.E.N. which we did and resulted in publicity made all the more affecting by it’s appearing (with his family’s blessing) a week after he had died. This report can be seen here.

There are many lessons here for others who want to change the world for the better: build a civil and listening relationship with your political representatives, use your life experiences and contacts to inform your opinions and arguments, give more than you take, bring original insights to causes, do not be afraid of being outside the party line, and persist when you don’t get your message through.

It was a joy to see his last days comforted by the reconciliation and love shown by those he had been apart from for years.

Brian died at the end of July having known of his serious cancer for 18 months. His funeral, across the road from his flat, at St. Matthew’s Stretford (where he was a regular), brought to an end a life helping others. He leaves a former partner, daughter, granddaughter and friends around the world of many faiths and none.

Stephen Pennels

This was the confident title of GJN’s annual post AGM get together, this year staged in York. In the event I was the only person from Manchester there (as far as I know), which was a shame as it was a valuable time for networking. (Eve Nortley of GJ Bolton spoke of collaboration and told of a potential new member who is a mature social activist and keen to be involved and who will find coming to Manch. for meetings much easier than where he is currently engaged.) 

When there are simultaneous alternative workshops one person can’t cover all- I didn’t go to sessions on overseas aid, energy democracy, a world without borders, and food democracy.

Even before the meeting I profited from a good chat about new activism capacity with Laura Williams who I met on the train and arriving at the venue over an hour early met Roger Miller – a regular veteran member from Bristol and we went for a stroll- more useful experience sharing. A third discussion (not on the agenda) was with Oliver Blensdorf (GJN Sheffield) who argued against Stop Trump protests as they objectify and depersonalise someone, this being our objection against his policies- do we achieve “The World We Want” by acting in ways we don’t?

The AGM was without serious hitch, though, we were warned of GJN having to cut back on staff in the months ahead. As with the afternoon, there was an apparent disparity in age and ethnicity between attenders and GJN salaried staff.

When the topic of participation of Youth Network members in local groups was raised the suggestion from a new Youth Network member of GJN’s Council was that we should make our meetings more exciting. Perhaps it is “The World We Want”, but I await gespannt.

There was the usual atmosphere of a Green/Corbynite consensus which sometimes makes me feel we are heading for a situation where folk go along with something they don’t fully believe because of corporate loyalty. It may be “The World We Want”, but do we all want to be told that we want it, with scant regard for the concerns and feelings of those who may see what they have sought for years trashed and for this to be asserted as if self-evidently some sort of heavenly revelation?

Perhaps the most important “take away” from the day for me was contributed by Jason Hickel <https://www.jasonhickel.org/about/> (whose book The Divide was being given out as a motivation for taking out GJN membership). Arguing that focussing on the metric of “absolute poverty” (the old $1 per day) is deceptive as that number is falling, whereas if one looks at $5 per day one sees growing disparity. Tied to this was the idea of “degrowth”. We may say we despise the constant consumerist drive to “update” our lives and technology, but countries are blinkered to believing in constant growth without consideration of unsustainability.

It’s easy for me as English and middle class, owning my home and getting an occupational pension to feel I aspire to this, but do we really; can we sell the idea to our families; to our society, and to poorer people? And can we get “The World We Want” before “meltdown”.

Hmmmmmm. Things to think about- come next year and we can think together!

Stephen Pennels