Last week, a group of colleagues and supporters, mostly organised around BASW, started a 100-mile walk from Birmingham to Liverpool in order to protest against austerity and its catastrophic impact on Social Services.

They drew inspiration from from some of the most glorious moments of the working class movement in the UK and internationally. One can recall the the iconic Jarrow Marchers of 1936 when members of the devastated by poverty community of Jarrow walked from North of England to London to protest against unemployment and inequality.

I was invited by the walkers to address one of their events and walked with them for part of the route over the weekend. It has been great walking with the #BootOutAusterity group of social workers. People, for the most part, responded warmly to the demand for more investment in social services and social care. Despite tiredness and sore feet a great discussion about social work and social action followed.

The march reached Liverpool yesterday to a very warm welcome.

Well done to BASW and all colleagues helped make this great initiative come to fruition.