thanks for the responses,
yep the clutch arm appears to be facing the right direction. if i pull on the arm well push from left side with my hand, the clutch still doesnt engage.

the bike was sitting for about 6 months. If the plates are stuck, how do i unstick them? that sorta makes the most sense at the moment.
if i start the bike up and leave it running and repeatedly try to engage and disengage the clutch will it come lose or is that likely to break something?

thanks