Honorary Life criteria

Local Associations can nominate members for Honorary Life Membership of the NASUWT. Read on to find out what the criteria for nominating a member for Honorary Life Membership is.

Local Associations can also find a pro forma to complete when nominating a member for Honorary Life Membership on the right/below. All completed pro formas should be returned to the following address:

NASUWT Recruitment Team
Hillscourt Education Centre
Rednal
Birmingham B45 8RS

Alternatively, Local Associations can e-mail completed pro formas to the Recruitment Team.

Guidance on the awarding of Honorary Life Membership

  1. The National Executive may recognise service rendered to the Union by a Full Member at national or local level by awarding Honorary Life Membership.

  2. An Honorary Life Member who has retired from teaching shall have the same rights and obligations under these Rules as a reduced subscription Retired Member, save that an Honorary Life Member shall not be required to pay the prescribed reduced subscription to the Union.

  3. An Honorary Life Member (unless s/he is also a Full Member of the Union) shall have no voting rights nor shall s/he be eligible to hold office other than as provided for in the constitution of a Retired Members Association.

Criteria for the award

  1. The benchmark against which service is measured is five years as a Local Association Secretary or comparable service. Sometimes Local Associations request Honorary Life Membership for a long-serving School Representative. This will be awarded at the discretion of the National Executive and depend on the exceptional circumstances put forward by the Local Association.

  2. Honorary Life Membership is granted by the National Executive in recognition of exceptional service to the Union. It is therefore inappropriate to grant it before that service has come or is coming to an end.

  3. Honorary Life Membership should not be requested for a member who:

    • is continuing to provide the service to the Union for which the recognition is requested;

    •  does not meet the criteria of service to the Union.

  4. Applications should be made to the Recruitment Team, who can also offer advice on 0121 453 6150 or via e-mail at Recruitment Team.

Important note for Local Associations

  1. It is vital to inform the member to whom Honorary Life Membership is being awarded that:

    • if they are teaching at the time the award is made or do so at any time following the award being made, they must pay a full membership subscription in order to receive the benefits and legal cover which are available to full members. As soon as the member informs the Membership Team that they are no longer teaching, their record will be amended to activate the Honorary Life Membership;

    • in line with rule 4(3)(c), they have no voting rights nor are they eligible to hold office other than as provided for in the constitution of their Retired Members’ Association.

Please note:
There are members who make significant contributions to the work of the Union whom the Local Association would wish to honour. If they do not meet the criteria for Honorary Life Membership, the Local Association might consider presenting a gift or NASUWT promotional item as an appropriate alternative.

For more information on what items are available, please contact the Recruitment Team.