Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The POA, Cronin House, 245 Church Street, London.
The POA is the largest union in the United Kingdom representing Uniformed Prison Grades and staff working within the field of Secure Forensic Psychiatric Care, with over 35 thousand members in the public and private sectors.
20/08/2026
A worker's right to withdraw their labour is a fundamental human right recognised by the International Labour Organisation, an agency of the United Nations. This MP does not support the
call to reinstate the Right to Strike for all the UK's Prison Officers.
20/08/2026
Understaffed, Unsupported, Underfunded
Hope in Hell S03E12 pt 2
https://youtube.com/watch?v=UuPTdwEzzUU
In part two of our Hope in Hell conversation, POA NEC members Phil and Dave continue the discussion alongside Gary and Rodney, looking at the pressures facing Prison Officers and the wider prison system.
The episode explores staff support, rehabilitation, resettlement and the investment needed to make prisons safer, more effective places to work and to rehabilitate.
POA General Secretary and TUC President, Steve Gillan, addresses the 2026 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival
18/08/2026
Another private prison fiasco - across the prison estate prisoners are being released early due to a lack of capacity meawhile cells lie empty at this private prison because they can't recruit staff.
National Chair Mark Fairhurst discusses the early release scheme.
12/08/2026
Understaffed, Overcrowded, Under Pressure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7RLR36wxeQ
The POA recently joined the Hope in Hell podcast for the first part of a three-part conversation exploring the pressures facing today’s prison system from both the frontline and lived-experience perspectives.
POA National Executive Committee members Phil and Dave discuss the impact of understaffing, overcrowding, reduced regimes, recruitment and retention challenges, and the loss of experienced officers, alongside Gary and Rodney’s reflections on how these pressures affect prisoners, rehabilitation and safety across the estate. It is a wide-ranging and candid discussion about the realities facing both staff and prisoners, and the importance of properly resourcing the service if prisons are to operate safely and effectively.
Listen now to episode 87 of the POA Podcast - GFTU and training for POA reps
In this episode we look at the training provided by the POA for local representatives. Much of this is delivered in partnership with the GFTU – the General Federation of Trade Unions. But what exactly is the GFTU and how does its collaboration with the union give the best trade union education and training for POA members?
Deputy General Secretary Mick Pimblett joins Gawain Little (General Secretary) and Henry Fowler (Assistant General Secretary) of the GFTU in discussing the collaboration with the POA, how the training is actually delivered, and what the so-called “Workers’ Retreat” is like as a venue for such important work.
More information from the POA (https://poauk.org.uk/) and GFTU (http://www.gftu.org.uk/) websites.
The POA @ 'The Big Meeting' - Durham Miners' Gala 2026