The Peace & Craft Fair is BACK! The Fair takes place from 11am-4pm. Join us on Saturday 14th November at the Birch Community Centre for live music, a peace cafe, plenty of jolly company, and stalls selling artisan jewellery, festive knits, calligraphy, olive oil from Palestine, books, bookmarks, scrummy homemade cakes, peace and green-friendly merchandise, and lots more! Entry is free and the centre is fully accessible.
It’s going to be a blast, so if you want to help promote the event, then drop us an email at gmdcnd@gn.apc.org, and we can get some leaflets your way, especially if you live near the community centre or in the Witherton area. We also need volunteers to help with set up and the cafe so please get in touch if you can offer up your services for some of the day. This is a wonderful community event, but it needs promotion and volunteers so please help us with that.
Now more than ever, as the world hurtles towards conflict and disaster, it is essential that GM&D CND continue our campaign to bring about a world without nuclear weapons. It is in this spirit that we have been working on new ways to raise funds for our continuing campaigns.
One of the ideas we had was a brand new t-shirt design. A few of us had seen the classic RUN DMC t-shirts and wondered if we could change it. One of our lovely friends is a graphic designer and he came up with 6 incredible designs! They are based on a number of different ideas. The black, yellow and white is from the old Hacienda days. Drop Beats Not Bombs was a music event we hosted a few years ago. The Manchester Bee emblem has become more and more popular in recent years so that had to be part of it, and the lemon, for those under a certain age, is from the world famous Manchester band, The Stone Roses. It was used on their debut album cover of the same name. The lemon’s came from the student rebellion in May 1968, Paris, where protesters used to suck them to help combat the tear gas.
All together this has made a fantastic limited edition GM&D CND Drop Beats Not Bombs t-shirt. The t-shirts go for £20 + PP and they come in S, M, L & XL sizes. Until our new website is up and running, e-mail us on gmdcnd@gn.apc.org to get yours. Thank you all in advance for your continuing support ☮️
We are opening the North West Young Peace Makers Fund to support young people to get started with a campaign, a project or even a new organisation which stands up for peace.
Why has this been set up?
Like many well-established Peace Groups in the UK, Greater Manchester and District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (GMDCND) members tend to be in an older age group. We have our own connections and ways of communicating, and we are brave in defence of Peace. But our ways of communicating don’t always match younger generations, who use different media and organise in different ways to express their resistance to war and violence as a solution to conflict.
Young activists like Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement inspired young people to speak out on international and local issues. We know that there are young people who want to Stand up for Peace and organise resistance to war, and we want to help you get started. We have fundraised from our community to fund three new ideas.
After years of COVID and increasing individualisation, we know that getting together in person helps strengthen our movements and communities, so we are inviting young people in the North West to Get Going on Peace
What will we fund?
You might have an idea for a campaign, project, event, or new organisation. It needs to be related to Peace and anti-war activism, but we are open to how you interpret this within your community.
Who can apply?
Any individual or group aged between 12 – 25 living in the North West of England.
What is the maximum Grant size?
£500
When is the cut off date for applications?
31st October 2026
What is the timeline for the grant?
We expect to let successful projects know within a month of the closing date. From then, you’ll have 6 months to complete your project, and a further month to write a 1-page report on how you’ve spent the grant, your successes and your learnings. At the end of the projects, GMDCND will host a get together to share your ideas with our members and listen to your NEXT STEPS.
Who holds the Fund and makes the decisions?
A small team from Greater Manchester and District CND with support from Ellie Kinney. Applications will be judged based on how closely they relate to our aim of standing up for peace. Once successful, grantees will have control over how money is spent.
Do you need approval from anyone for your application?
Young people under the age of 18 will need to have the written approval of a parent/guardian who will also be financially responsible for receiving the money. Grantees over the age of 18 can have funds paid directly into bank accounts.
What to include in your application?
In 500 words, tell us: – Who you are – Your values – what is your vision? – Your activities – what will you do with this grant? Who will you include, and how will you do it? – Your budget – how will you spend the grant? – Your aims – what do you hope to achieve with this grant?
This should be submitted to nwyoungpeacemakersfund@protonmail.com
Our regular communication is usually us asking you to spare some time to support our campaigns and we’re very happy to say that you always show up.
However, did you know that the cost of hiring a coach to travel to Barrow to protest at the nuclear submarine base was upwards of 40% more expensive last year than in 2019? You ask us about transport to national and regional demos but, sadly, we are less and less likely to be able to afford to book a coach, or even a minibus.
Despite these constraints, in the past twelve months, we have continued to organise, support and take part in local and national protests and events. These have included organising the North West Alternative Defence Review conference; No to Nuclear (power) book launch with Linda Pentz Gunter; transport to demonstrations at Lakenheath and Barrow; public meetings; film screenings; organising with trade unions and trades councils; vigils commemorating both Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and community events such as the Peace & Crafts Fair.
So this time we are asking you to support our ‘Non-Violent’ Fighting Fund which is especially important this year as we will be without our income from working at Glastonbury Festival.
It is essential that we continue our campaign to put pressure on the British government for a more peaceful agenda and a world without nuclear weapons. We want to reach relevant groups and individuals, however, the costs of running events, an office and staff salaries have all increased.
To improve our basic income, we are introducing local membership subscription rates of £5 per month, but more is needed. If you can make a donation to help our finances, either as a one-off or as a standing order, this would make a big difference. Our target amount is £10,000 and suggested donation amounts range anywhere from £10 to £100. Any amounts, small or large are gratefully received.
You can make payments via our JustGiving page, directly to our bank account or a good old cheque is still welcome. Please get in touch at gmdcnd@gn.apc.org for details.
