Socialist Party stall at the Hull 'Engage for Change' event, photo Paul Spooner

Socialist Party stall at the Hull ‘Engage for Change’ event, photo Paul Spooner   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Mike Whale, Hull Socialist Party and Hull Trade Union Council

Hundreds of local trade unionists and young people attended the second Hull Trade Union Council-organised music festival ‘Engage for Change’ on 23 June.

As well as bands on the main stage, there was an acoustic and debating tent, a bar and a fantastic young children and family area.

Alongside local speakers, Theo Sharieff from Waltham Forest Socialist Party in east London spoke about the plight of homeless young people in the capital.

Jessy Ní Cheallaigh, a young activist in the recent Irish abortion rights referendum campaign got a great response, as did a speaker from the Kurdish Solidarity Campaign.

The festival ended with a rousing performance of Clash songs by ‘The Crash’ tribute band. Onlookers could barely believe their eyes when Joe Gibbins, Trade Union Council secretary and long-standing Clash fan, joined the band on stage.

Matt Whale finished the festival by calling on all of those present to join the anti-Trump protest in Hull on 13 July.

The Engage for Change youth committee of the Hull Trade Union Council has raised thousands of pounds from the trade union movement to fund the festival and has shown that they can organise a major event encouraging young people to get active in the labour and trade union movement.

The Socialist Party stall, complete with new gazebo, was very busy. We sold more than 80 copies of the Socialist and several young people signed up to join the Socialist Party.