9-15 February 2026
Heart Unions Week is when Britain’s 6-million strong trade union movement celebrates the work unions do, encouraging more to join. Young people going into employment need the protection and cooperation that union membership provides – perhaps more than anyone – but fewer than one in ten sign up.
Woodcraft Folk shares many aims and principles with trade unions. We encourage members to join and, by introducing young people to trade union ideas, we help ready them for the challenges ahead. So, can you make room in your Spring term programme for Heart Unions week? Here are three things you can do:
- Include union-friendly games and activities in your programme
- Connect with Heart Unions events taking place in your area – see the suggestions below.
- Tell the Trade Union Working Group (TUWG) what you’re planning, or request help, by emailing trade.unions@woodcraft.org.uk (please mention your district)
What will trade unions be doing to celebrate?
For the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Heart Unions Week is ‘a chance to tell the story about why unions are vital for everyone at work, and encourage people who aren’t yet in a union to join’. In 2026 it will be from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 February.
Much of the activity will take place in workplaces up and down the country. Union activists will be doing things like a ‘tea and cake’ morning, a workplace walk, wearing union stickers, giving out union valentines’ cards, playing ‘a better life at work’ bingo or quiz, or a recruitment fair.
Some events and stalls will take place in highstreets or other public venues. Could your Woodcraft Folk group join in, with appropriate safeguards?
How to make contact and find out what’s going on locally
Early contact with trade unions and event organisers will give you the best chance of getting involved. Telephone calls or visits to union offices will probably be more effective than emails alone. You should be able to find out about local events by:
- Checking national TUC, STUC, Wales TUC or GFTU websites
- Contacting TUC regions covering your area
- Contacting your local Trades Union Council
- Keeping an eye out for any other local trade union events
Checking national websites
TUC: The Trades Union Congress usually publishes map of local activities, as it did last year (see below) but tie up directly with local trade unionists if you can.
STUC: In Scotland, try contacting the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
Website: https://www.stuc.org.uk/ Email: info@stuc.org.uk Phone: 0141 337 8100 Address: 8 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP. Campaigns & Communications Dave Moxham.
Wales: For events in Wales try contacting TUC Cymru/TUC Wales TUC.
Website: https://www.tuc.org.uk/wales Phone: 029 2034 7010. Email: cymru@tuc.org.uk Address: 3rd Floor, Unite Building 1 Cathedral Road Cardiff CF11 9SD.
GFTU: The Woodcraft-friendly General Federation of Trade Unions may have information.
Website: https://gftu.org.uk/ Phone: 01509 410970 Address: Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB
TUC Regions
The TUC regions are a good place to start developing Heart Union connections.
TUC Midlands: https://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc-midlands Phone: 0121 262 6380. Address: 47 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3TH. The Regional Policy & Campaigns Officer is Rob Johnston, rjohnston@tuc.org.uk Covers Birmingham, Chesterfield, Coventry, Derby, Hereford, Kidderminster, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Northampton, Nottingham, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
TUC North East, Yorkshire & Humber: https://www.tuc.org.uk/neyh Phone: Newcastle upon Tyne 0191 227 5550, Leeds 0113 242 9696. Addresses: 1st Floor, Unite building, John Dobson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8TW; and Quayside House, 5 Canal Wharf, Leeds, LS11 5PS. The Regional Policy & Campaigns Officer is Safiyya Patel, spatel@tuc.org.uk Covers Alnwick, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bradford, Carlisle, Darlington, Durham, Grimsby, Harrogate, Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Northallerton, Penrith, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Wakefield, Whitby, Workington, York.
TUC North West: https://www.tuc.org.uk/north-west Phone: 0151 482 2710 Address: 4th Floor, Jack Jones House, 1 Islington, Liverpool L3 8EG. The Regional Policy & Campaigns Officer (and media contact) is Jawad Khan on 07917 416058 or jkhan@tuc.org.uk Covers Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Chester, Chester, Crewe, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Salford, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, and Wigan.
TUC London, East & South East: https://www.tuc.org.uk/london-east-south-east/contact-us-lese Phone: 020 7467 1291 Email: lese@tuc.org.uk Address: Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS The regional Policy & Campaigns Support Officer is Daniel Shannon-Hughes, dshannon-hughes@tuc.org.uk 020 7467 1334. Covers Basingstoke, Bedford, Brighton, Bury St Edmonds, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chatham, Colchester, Dunstable, Greater London, Hemel Hempstead, Ipswich, Isle of Wight, Kings Lynn, Lowestoft, Milton Keynes, Newhaven, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Reading, Sidcup, Sittingbourne, Slough, Southampton, Stevenage, Tonbridge, and Watford.
TUC South West: https://www.tuc.org.uk/south-west/contact-us-south-west Phone: 0117 947 0521 The regional Policy and Campaigns Officer is Sadie Fulton, sfulton@tuc.org.uk Covers Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Taunton, Truro, Weymouth, and Yeovil.
Trade Union Councils
Your local Trade Union Council/Trades Council is likely to be involved in any Heart Unions Week activity being planned. It might not be as easy to contact as a TUC region or individual union, as Trades Councils don’t usually have their own premises or staff. See TUC and STUC websites for email addresses but a web/facebook search for trades councils on those lists may well turn up more information and better connections.
Individual trade unions
Individual trade unions will also be organising Heart Unions events, some of which you may be able to link up with. Contact the Trade Union Working Group if you need help contacting unions directly: trade.unions@woodcraft.org.uk