LEADERSHIP FOCUS | OCTOBER 2018
Q&A with NAHT life member Hilary Alcock HILARY ALCOCK tells us why she decided to switch to life membership and how it can give you peace of mind, so you can live your retirement to the full.
Why did you decide to become a life member? NAHT was the voice and support I relied on – trusted, reliable, relevant and accessible – throughout my career. I knew that as I took early retirement in December 2017, I wanted to play an active part in the association. My NAHT life membership gives me the chance to support others and shape the range of invaluable services we offer to school leaders. It was also reassuring to keep the excellent legal and professional support NAHT offers should I experience a post-career issue. This includes the unparalleled pension and financial advice and a range of services through NAHT’s affinity partners. Since switching to life membership, I also decided to join NAHT’s life members’ committee. It’s a vibrant and focused group whose members are passionate about finding ways to enhance further what NAHT can offer its life
members – whether that’s helping them to undertake some form of employment or devote their time and energies to other things.
Retiring is a huge event, and it can leave you feeling like you’ve lost your identity. How can life membership help school leaders through this challenging time? Retirement is a changing concept. Many view it as a time of celebration. Some look forward to the different opportunities it presents. Others have concerns about losing a sense of purpose and the loss of the social contact that comes with being a part of a school’s community. You can find yourself anywhere on that continuum. And retirement may be a planned and staged process, or it might have occurred for a range of unexpected reasons. But, it’s always about change. Some NAHT life members find
Above: Hilary Alcock
that becoming active or keeping their involvement in the association can help to bridge this significant change in their life. Many find they enjoy having the time to use their considerable professional expertise to support serving members through both formal and informal branch or regional roles. Others keep in touch through social events and networking. There’s a dedicated section on NAHT’s website for life members, and the life members’ committee, which I’m a member of, is looking to find increased and different ways to ensure NAHT offers the best value for money for its membership.
What’s the most rewarding thing about being a life member? Being a life member provides me with the opportunity to remain a part of an association that has been significant in my past professional life and continues to play an essential role in my personal life. Still feeling connected to the ‘bigger educational picture’ is important to me and so is the potential to contribute to providing a worthwhile service for those who devoted their professional lives to improving the life chances of children, young people and adults in their schools’ communities. Life membership offers the potential to make new friends and networks. But, it really is up to individuals to decide how much or how little they wish to be involved at any time.
If you are retired or approaching retirement, we will keep you covered, protect your future and ensure you don’t lose the valuable support you received throughout your career. Become a life member today at naht.org.uk/join-life.
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