The 2025 junior members forum is here, and it's your chance to gather, learn, and network like never before. For two packed days you’ll master the art of workplace organising and walk away with renewed passion and vigour to tackle whatever hurdles you might be facing in your workplace. Plus – dare we say it? – new lifelong friendships.
Ready to jump in? Let’s peek at what awaits you!
Solidarity, workshops
The theme for this year’s event is Building Solidarity. Whether you're into advocating for better working conditions or looking to elevate your role in workplace organising, this forum is where you’ll level up. Find out how to fine tune your skills – from navigating workplace politics to pushing for changes in your department, you’ll gain the tools to foster a more supportive, efficient and, well, less chaotic work environment. And who doesn't need a little bit of that?
This year, there will be two workshop sessions: Winning in the Workplace, which will cover essential skills such as strategic communication, campaigning, lodging grievances and opening disputes, equipping you with the practical know-how to advocate for yourself and colleagues; and Winning Far and Wide, which will focus on campaigning, organising and strategising for national priorities such as pay restoration, contracts and other key issues.
The aim of these workshops is to give you the insight and confidence to drive change, at a local level in your workplace and on a national scale.
Understanding the issues, building the solutions
Solidarity starts with understanding the challenges we all face. The JMF brings together doctors and medical students from all over the UK, working in a variety of settings. This means you will hear first-hand about the problems affecting colleagues in other workplaces – and more importantly, the strategies they are using to tackle them.
You may find yourself in similar positions where you work, and could therefore learn a thing or two – what worked or didn’t work – to take back and further your cause.
This year’s event will feature panel sessions on ‘Making change at a local level’, where you’ll hear from speakers who have driven significant improvements in their workplace; and ‘Making change at a national level’, with speakers who have championed national policies leading to radical change across our profession.
This is an opportunity to learn from union representatives on how they have led on several issues such as negotiating for better conditions, and their ideas for organising effectively. These conversations will strengthen your ability to advocate for yourself and colleagues where you work. You might be facing contract disputes, unsafe staffing levels, burnout, or unsafe use of medical associate professions, but you’ll leave JMF with practical knowledge on how others are fighting back – and you can too.
Networking opportunity
Whether it’s during the workshops, over a coffee break or between sessions, you get to meet like-minded doctors and medical students from all corners of the country, committed to improving our working lives. The conversations you have this weekend could lead to future collaborations, stronger workplace networks, and even friendships that last beyond the event.
Get ready for a good time
It's not all work and no play. Sure, you’ll walk away with a wealth of knowledge on building solidarity and workplace organising, but you’ll also leave with a sense of camaraderie that can only come from spending two days with fellow passionate colleagues. It’s a place to share ideas, challenge each other and grow – together.
JMF is your chance to develop your skills, broaden your understanding of the issues facing us as a profession, and ultimately to shape our own future. Get ready to learn, ready to connect and most importantly, ready to build solidarity. We can’t wait to see you there!
Alice Ogunji is JMF deputy chair and a psychology core trainee 3 in the East Midlands