Alfreton union members honour dead colleague

Usdaw members at Co-operative Group Retail Logistics in Alfreton have voted to name a new learning centre at the distribution site after a much loved colleague who died recently.

They were asked to vote on a name for the state of the art learning centre and voted to call it after Roger Burnham who was a driver at the site for 21 years.

“Roger was a really well liked member of the team at the site so it was no surprise when his friends voted to honour his memory,” said Dave Hills, Usdaw Union Learning Representative. “It’s a really fitting memorial to him and the winning entrants also suggested that the prize voucher for naming the centre be used to pay for a bouquet for his widow.”

The Burnham Learning Suite will offer literacy and numeracy skills courses as well a range of IT training to the plant’s 600 employees. The centre will be equipped with cutting edge IT equipment provided by West Nottingham College who have developed an innovative learning partnership with the union.

“We’ve had a lot of interest already in the courses we’re offering,” says Terry Hamp, Usdaw learning rep. “The new centre has the latest IT equipment and our students will be able to boost their careers by taking these courses. All the evidence shows a well educated workforce has higher levels of motivation and absenteeism decreases.”

“The key to this centre is people can learn at their own pace as many of the students have not set foot in a classroom since they left school. These courses are designed to reach people the rest of the education system can’t reach.”

The centre will be opened by Alfreton distribution manager Stuart McKenzie with Usdaw Deputy General Secretary Paddy Lillis and Amber Valley MP Judy Mallaber.

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 224 2804 or at paul.clarke@usdaw.org.uk.

• The Burnham Learning Centre at Co-operative Group Retail Logistics, Venture Crescent, Alfreton will be opened at 10.30am on Friday April 8th by Alfreton distribution manager Stuart McKenzie with Usdaw Deputy General Secretary Paddy Lillis and Amber Valley MP Judy Mallaber. A bouquet paid for by his colleagues will be presented to Roger Burnham’s widow Ann.

• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with over 340,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.

• Journalists can subscribe to receive Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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