New Unity is a radically inclusive community of love and justice. We live our values by campaigning for justice in many areas and fields, including everything from supporting vulnerable migrants to campaigning against rogue landlords. Read on to learn more about what we do.
Anti-racism
We say: #BlackLivesMatter. We have fought against racism for centuries, right back to the abolitionist views preached in the 18th century in our Newington Green Meeting House. We know it's not enough to just be tolerant: we want to make New Unity truly and radically welcoming to all. Email us to get involved.
Hackney and Islington Citizens
We are a member institution of Hackney and Islington Citizens – a branch of community organising associations London Citizens and Citizens UK. Members of our Social Justice Team attend Delegate Assemblies, workshops and other campaigning events to hold politicians to account, improve public services designed to help vulnerable people, and much more.
Recently, we have been working with Citizens UK and tech firms to bring together resources like laptops and redistribute them to digitally excluded families. If you know of such a family that may benefit, please contact us. All enquiries will be treated with discretion.
Newington Green Alliance
The Newington Green Alliance was formed in 2018, and now has a double-figure number of members. Its aim is to better the lives of all those who work and/or live in and around Newington Green, a diverse area on the borders of the London Boroughs of Islington and Hackney. The group brings together people from a range of backgrounds, ethnic groups and communities.
Living Wage
We're proud to be an accredited Living Wage employer, which means we pay all of our staff at least the London Living Wage of £10.55. Partnering with Citizens UK, we work to encourage more employers to take this important step towards fair compensation for all workers.
Our history of social action
Migrants’ rights: we co-founded The Unity Project to provide practical support to vulnerable migrants in our community, including helping with legal casework. It’s now an independent charity.
Marriage equality: we’re a secular community – but for official purposes, we’re a religious establishment. In 2008, we became the first and only religious establishment in Britain to refuse to carry out any weddings until all couples had equal marriage rights. We're proud of our role in helping to propel a national movement toward full marriage equality.
Mental health: in 2017 members of New Unity took part in a mental health campaign that was facilitated by Citizens UK. This work led to the Mayor of Hackney committing to sourcing a one off Mental Health First Aid Training for businesses and charities in Hackney. As a direct result of this campaign work, in August 2019 16 individuals, including the mayor of Hackney and our former minister Andy Pakula, took part in Mental Health First Aid training.
Rogue landlords: after compiling a dossier identifying a number of rogue landlords operating in the area, and working with Hackney Citizens, New Unity’s Social Justice team led a successful campaign to persuade the London Borough of Hackney to introduce property licensing to improve the experience of tenants in the private sector. Also working with Hackney Citizens, members of the team had a series of productive meetings with the local authority about improving the borough’s responsiveness to their tenants’ requests for repairs.
