Fran has long curly hair and is sitting in front of a PCS backdrop, smiling at the camera
Fran Heathcote

Together we are unstoppable

Fran reflects on her own journey to activism and inspires women members to get active in your union for Women’s History Month – Leading Today and Building Tomorrow.

I attended my first union meeting as a new member of staff, having joined the union straight away. My branch was looking for a workplace rep for Yeovil DHSS. Someone pointed at me and said, “She’s young and gobby, she’ll do it!” And the rest, as they say, is history.

I enthusiastically threw myself into it, managing to recruit most people in my office to PCS’s predecessor, CPSA. We didn’t have email then, I was constantly copying circulars, walking around and talking to everyone, which generated discussions. Leading to my firm belief that being well organised is about high levels of member engagement.

I was lucky to be supported by strong, inspirational women encouraging me to step-up when I wasn’t feeling very brave about speaking up. In my region there was Jeanne Rickards, in DHSS (later DWP group) - Stella Dennis and at national level – Janice Godrich. As well as men progressive enough to see that getting a young woman involved was a positive thing, not a threat.

We always strive to ensure our activists reflect our membership, because we know that like recruits like. Women play a really important role in encouraging our sisters; giving other women encouragement is one of the most important things we can do. After all, nobody wants to be that woman who smashed through the ‘glass ceiling’, then firmly replaced it behind her! I am proud of what we’ve achieved in terms of women's participation, but there’s still much more to do.

As the first woman general secretary of PCS, I feel the responsibility to be a positive role model, but also to pass on the baton to other women. It’s not much of an achievement if I am the first, and then we don’t have another for years. Representing members, at every level, is a massive privilege, and one that comes with the need to ensure that you build the union to make it stronger than when you started – not much pressure, then! The next generation of women activists are the future of PCS, as well as being very much the present.

PCS is changing and developing all the time, and whilst digital tools used to be seen as a male-interest area, hybrid and online access to meetings and discussions have given women (particularly those with caring responsibilities) greater places at the table. So, occupy that space, we want your views at every meeting, on every issue. Your views are just as valid, as needed, as our male counterparts.

There is a lot to feel positive about. We have some brilliant sisters in our union, and you don’t have to look far to find a role model, and adopt the mindset that if they can do it, so can I. We have new women reps of all ages getting involved. Many find their activism later in their career, as other responsibilities ease. My message to every woman out there is “Give it a go, it’s your union. We want to hear your voices, together, we are unstoppable.” 

What can women members do to progress equality for women? Get active in your union!