As part of the three-day Festival, six key workers will be taking part in the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival procession on Sunday.
The banner parade through the Dorset village, which usually attracts thousands of workers and trade unionists every year to commemorate the six farm workers transported to Australia after forming a union, has been moved to a virtual Festival due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Instead, six key workers – including a teacher, a care worker, a farm worker and a postal worker – will be walking, socially-distanced, through the village. The procession will link the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs with the millions of key workers who worked on the frontlines of their communities to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.
Tolpuddle residents have been invited to stand on their doorsteps and clap for these key workers, who, as their neighbours became the local faces of the workforce that kept Tolpuddle and the country safe, fed, and in touch during the lockdown. This poignant and symbolic parade will also reflect the community spirit that shone through as people came together to tackle the spread of the virus.
The walk will be live streamed online on Facebook and Youtube as part of the virtual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival.
Full details can be found on: www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk
Event organiser and TUC South West regional secretary Nigel Costley said:
“The crisis has brought us closer together in many ways. When we clapped for key workers every Thursday, many of us were also clapping and cheering for our friends and neighbours who were out there keeping us and our communities safe. From teaching our kids, looking after us if we got sick, to keeping our elderly relatives company when we couldn’t.
“We really owe so much to them. Using the Tolpuddle procession to shine a light on key workers is something we are proud to do.
“Of course, we will miss the huge march of banners that takes place every year. Our plans for a virtual festival will help keep the spirit and solidarity of the Festival going until we return next year, bigger and better than ever.
“But today, as we remember the sacrifices of six ordinary farm workers from Tolpuddle, we also celebrate key workers and the role these six local workers had on the village of Tolpuddle – much like every other key worker in every village, town and city in this country and around the world.
“For them, they just did their jobs. But for us, it was so much more.”
