We are a large but very active RMA with more than 430 members distributed throughout both Cheshire and North Wales.

Its large geographic area means that members have to travel quite a distance to both committee meetings and social events. To combat this, we try to spread our gatherings across Cheshire and North Wales each year. For the past two years, Wirral and Cheshire RMAs have held joint visits and lunches.

We hold our committee meetings at the Cock @ Budworth which is central for our members. Our AGM is held also held there in February.

We also have a joint meeting with Staffordshire and Derbyshire RMAs each year. Our three aims in common with the NASUWT retired members’ organisation are to:

1. organise social events for our members - five or six per year;
2. provide information and support for retired members;
3. continue to support NASUWT and its working members.

Information about campaigns on behalf of the retired generation is disseminated at our meetings. The Northwest REM is also a representative attending the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC).

Cheshire and North Wales RMA strives to support links with all NASUWT RMAs.

Cumbria is a small but very active RMA with more than 80 members distributed throughout the county. Our three aims in common with the NASUWT retired members’ organisation are to:

1. organise social events for our members – 5 or 6 per year;
2. provide information and support for retired members;
3. continue to support NASUWT and its working members.

In a large but under-populated area with a scenic central mountain range, we spread our gatherings around the county and always aim to use venues with access by public transport.

Four of our social events are combined with committee meetings, to which all members are invited; one of them is the AGM, held in February at Threlkeld.

We subsidise our events as much as we can afford.

Information about campaigns on behalf of the retired generation is disseminated at our meetings and via our quarterly RMA newsletter; we also sponsor a representative attending the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) national annual Parliament (held in the North West). If you are keen on helping to improve pensions, the health service, public transport, care services and other issues affecting older people, get involved.

We also retain close links with the Cumbria NASUWT Federation of Local Associations with an RMA presence at their general meetings and via the Cumbria NASUWT Benevolent Federation.

Support for working colleagues is paramount, given the policies of the current government.

This is your ‘home’ RMA if your teaching career came to a close in an area bounded by the Lune, the Pennines, the Mersey and the Irish Sea, minus a large bite taken from the southwest usually referred to as Merseyside and Warrington which have opted to be part of Cheshire!

It covers a mix of sparsely populated agricultural and densely populated industrial landscapes (e.g. the Trough of Bowland and Trafford Park), in which may be found a mix of historical and modern edifices (e.g. Rufford Hall and Beetham Tower) which reflect the area’s contribution and reaction to our national evolution through the centuries.

We have about 600 members from whom a committee of 15 meets in the NASUWT North West Regional Centre (NWRC) to plan an offering of one event per month throughout the year. Occasionally, we invade our neighbours and head for e.g. Liverpool or Northwich; for the more adventurous, the Settle-Carlisle Railway is reachable.

We also contribute to the workings of the main Union through our volunteer benevolence visitors and our contributors to the Pre-Retirement Sessions organised by the staff at NWRC in conjunction with a major insurance company.

Currently, the LRMA is also active in the local branch of the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) and an attender at the annual Pensioners’ Parliament, held for many years in Blackpool but which in 2020 will be in Southport.

One final thought – it can be a relief not to have to get up and join the lemmings en route to ‘another day at the office’ and slam the door simultaneously on your Union membership. Apart from some of us retired members taking a very long arm’s length interest in the redrawing of the wheel that is the latest bright idea which must be adopted by the world of work, we are first and foremost a social organisation. Transferring from active member status to retired member takes a phone call or an email and opens doors to 34 RMAs, each of which offers a programme of activities – sometimes a visit to a place of interest, sometimes a meal in a hostelry – to which members of all RMAs are invited. (Although you’re likely to get to know only about those arranged by your ‘home’ RMA!) And you may be one of those who aver that they don’t know how they ever found time for work during those years of stress!

Over 350 of your retired colleagues wish to invite you to join them when you leave teaching.

Members and their guests have lunch every month in conjunction with visits to places of historical interest, theatrical shows and inspirational gardens. Other popular events are ten pin bowling and Christmas dinner. Some members run a modest investment club. We have two joint events annually with friends in the Retired Secondary Teachers Association in the Republic of Ireland. They regularly help us organise a holiday in early September within Ireland.

A committee elected at an Annual General Meeting organises this programme and manages our RMA.

Two representatives to the national body FRMA convey our opinions on the Association’s policies and practices and contribute to discussions on such matters as pensions, free public transport and other issues affecting older people. We support the NASUWT and its working members.

We are provided with advance information on all Northern Ireland events, as well as regular copies of national and local informative publications for retired members.

Staff at Union HQ in Rednal will help with the simple application process.

Welcome to NIRMA.

The Scottish RMA covers the whole of Scotland from the Borders to Shetland and membership comprises of just over 100 members located over the whole country.

A Working Committee is voted in to office each year at our June AGM held in the NASUWT Offices in Edinburgh.

 In common with all Retired Associations our aims are to:

1. organise social events for our members 5 or 6 per year;
2. provide information and support for retired members;
3. continue to support the NASUWT and its working members.

As we cover such a very large area, we attempt to vary the location of our social events but the majority will be in the Central Belt allowing easier access by public transport.

Notice of meetings and relevant information are issued in our publication The Northern Lights, which is emailed to all with an email address and posted to anyone without. This publication covers all the above listed topics.

Wirral is a medium-sized RMA with over 278 members distributed throughout The Wirral, Liverpool and Southport. Due to its geographic area, some members have to travel quite a distance to both committee meetings and social events. To combat this, in the past, we have tried to spread our gatherings across Merseyside each year, though due to low attendance, most are now limited to lunches in Wirral. Due to the falling numbers attending, for the past two years Cheshire RMA has invited us to have joint visits and lunches, for which we are very grateful. We hold our committee meetings at various locations to incorporate lunches in the area.

Our AGM is held in January. We have a joint meeting with Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire RMAs each year.

Our three aims, in common with the NASUWT Retired Members’ Association, are to:

1. organise social events for our members - four per year plus Cheshire’s programme;
2. provide information and support for retired members;
3. continue to support the NASUWT and its working members.

Information about campaigns on behalf of the retired generation is disseminated at our meetings. The North West REM is also a representative attending the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC).

Wirral RMA strives to support links with all NASUWT RMAs.

The Durham and Northumberland RMA aims to support retired NASUWT members in the region by:

• offering information, help, advice, friendship and practical support;
• organising a varied programme of lunches, social and cultural occasions which are promoted in a magazine and by email;
• maintaining strong links with the NASUWT, through which legal advice and other benefits are available;
• building strong links with other pensioner organisations, especially the North East Pensioners Association, to ensure that our interests are well represented and actively promoted.

Active members meet monthly for lunch at pubs across the region whilst we try to organise a programme of visits and cultural activities which celebrates our region’s unique heritage and geography. The Association pays for these visits when it is able to and welcomes both members and their partners or guests.

Our AGM is held at NASUWT North East Regional Centre in February. This reflects the strong relationship we enjoy with the local NASUWT and provides an opportunity to review our activities, to discuss issues of relevance to our members and to plan for the future - and to enjoy a good lunch!

Teesside is a small and very active Association with 111 members. Fortunately, the area is geographically compact making access to meetings and social events relatively easy. The Committee is hardworking and meets four or five times a year (this includes the AGM) at the local Municipal Golf Club in Middlesbrough - central for all members. All members are welcome to attend and are encouraged to do so.

The aims of the Association are:

1. to provide a social calendar of activities and outings to promote support and enjoyment in retirement for all members and their families;
2. encourage members to stay active;
3. provide relevant information for retired members;
4. support for the NASUWT and the working members.

The social calendar provides a monthly pub lunch using local venues and two outings a year. These are well supported and very enjoyable. Teesside also runs a walking group and organises a local walk at the end of every month.

An annual magazine is produced and many members contribute articles. The Secretary keeps the membership informed with regular newsletters which includes updates from the National Pensioners’ Convention and information on campaigns regarding issues affecting retired people.

Our aim is to enjoy retirement and support one another.

Yorkshire RMA is the largest of the Retired Members' Associations with over 700 members and the first one to be formed, celebrating 40 years. The county covers a very large area but the Association functions as a single body with representation from the three areas.

The primary aim of the Association is to provide contact, information and help and support for retired members in Yorkshire. The Association organises a number of subsidised events throughout the year from lunches to visits and activities which are published in an annual calendar.

In recent years, there has been a wide variety of organised events held once or twice in each month of the year in all areas of the county, including Christmas and AGM Dinners. Members of the YRMA living in South Yorkshire organise additional local lunches. Events are chosen to cover as wide an area of the county as possible.

Communication with members is through an excellent newsletter published bi-monthly.

The Yorkshire RMA is active in campaigning for pensioner rights and is represented on the Yorkshire & Humberside Pensioners' Convention and on the Yorkshire NASUWT Benevolent Trust.

Birmingham RMA was formed in 2008 and is a very active Association.

Our main focus lies in organising a monthly event which attracts between 20 and 35 members. Events include visits to historic buildings, gardens and art galleries, often involving a guided tour. Some events can only be experienced as a private group thus affording unique experiences. Most of these events end with a pub or restaurant meal.

Each year, we organise one or two Eating Around the World events when we visit different restaurants to experience a range of cuisines. We also have an annual walk.

Many of our events are in Birmingham, but we also arrange events further afield within the local area. For example, we have visited Stratford-upon-Avon and Lichfield. We also organise an annual summer coach outing which is always very popular. Most events are subsidised from our funds.

We also keep members informed with a newsletter called Out and About which is sent out three times a year. Many new friendships have been made and we welcome all new members on our events. Members can bring along their partner or carer.

Coventry and Warwickshire RMA has over 100 members and organises a programme of nine or ten events each year from suggestions put forward at the AGM. Most of these events consist of a visit somewhere coupled with an opportunity to eat together. Our events are organised by volunteers from our membership and co-ordinated through our Secretaries, so that the burden of organising the whole year’s programme doesn’t fall on one or two people.

In recent years, we have visited heritage properties, a distillery, museums, the National Memorial Arboretum and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (for a backstage tour). We have travelled on steam railways, tractor trailers to see deer and narrow boats to lunch at a canal side pub, visited a food festival and a cheese and pickle festival amongst many other activities. Regular favourites, such as guided local history trips, skittles at a local pub and lunch at the restaurant run by catering students at a local college, are included annually, as is our Christmas lunch.

Our RMA is a friendly and welcoming group and attendance at our events has gradually increased so that between 15 and 26 attend, depending on the nature of the visit and the time of year.

Dudley RMA held its inaugural meeting in January 2017, following several months of preparatory work by a small group of recently retired members who wished to keep links with both each other and with the NASUWT. Since its inauguration, Dudley RMA has flourished.

We now have active walking and cycling groups. We have taken part in local quizzes, had meals out and have organised several very interesting trips, e.g. Attingham Park's Bluebell Walk, Liverpool to see the Terracotta Army, Port Sunlight, and the V&A to see the Mary Quant Exhibition. We constantly review our programme of events and members are informed accordingly.

Partners/carers are very welcome to attend any events/trips which are organised but obviously do not qualify for any subsidies given to members.

As an RMA we are members of both the NPC and the TUC and when possible campaign for them. We also support our Local Association whenever possible.

We have approximately 80 members at present but are looking to increase our membership. You do not need to have worked in Dudley or even live in Dudley to join our RMA. We are a very welcoming Group and cordially invite you to join us!

Shropshire is a very large county and our RMA has in the region of 80 members. We have a very active committee, which organises around ten meetings a year.

On average we see between 15 and 20 members throughout the course of the year. A number of members who don’t attend our visits make a point of keeping in touch by phone, mail, etc.

Members receive 3-4 newsletters a year either via email or post, depending on their circumstances. We try to encourage members to attend meetings and take an active role in the Association and schedule some of our meetings on days when we have visits.

We try to organise our days out on different days of the week to accommodate those members who have regular commitments on certain days. Again we also try to spread the visits and meetings around different parts of the county to ease traveling.

We make a point of trying new places around Shropshire and in neighbouring counties. Quite a few members have moved into Shropshire on their retirement.

We keep in touch with the two Local Associations of working teachers and support them and all our retired members where we can.

We started our RMA in 2006 and still have some of the original members.

We are very active and often have 30 or more members at our functions.

We try to vary activities as much as possible. Our trips have included canal boat journeys, coach trips, and train journeys, as well as visits to castles, manor houses and places of historical interest. We try to patronise the National Trust as well as small local museums, including those that show the industrial heritage of Wales, such as Big Pit and the South Wales Miners Museum in Afan Valley. We visit breweries and distilleries; we use tourist trains in order to help local initiatives.

The group has helped us all to develop close friendships and enabled us to support each other in times of bereavement and family difficulties. We have become far more than just people socialising with each other. I think this aspect of the RMAs is very important to us all as we get older.

We have partners who come from other walks of life and this adds variety as well as allowing the ex-teachers among us to reminisce and survey the present educational scene with bemusement, to say the least!!

It is to the NASUWT’s credit that this important support network is available. It would not be right for those who have spent their lives in the education service and supported their Union to be abandoned just when the need for social interaction and the chance to share past experiences and mutual interests is at its greatest. We salute the NASUWT for their recognition of this.

Staffordshire branch of the RMA covers the geographical area of Staffordshire which includes the two education authority areas of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. We are a growing branch with about 250 members currently.

The branch is run by an elected Committee which arranges our monthly lunches or visits. These are planned to cover the whole county to enable as many members as possible to participate. One or two meetings a year are held jointly with neighbouring RMAs.

Our objectives are to:

1. organise a social calendar for members;
2. support members in any way we can;
3. promote issues affecting members: e.g. pensions, benefits, care etc.;
4. represent member’s interest at National level [FRMA]; and
5. be here for members if required.

Derbyshire Retired Members Association provides its members with the opportunity to stay active and engaged in the business of the NASUWT.

The committee and members organise social outings and events across the county and in conjunction with neighbouring RMAs. Most outings and events offer a subsidy to members.

Committee meetings are open to all members. These are held, approximately, three times a year at Strutts, Belper, in the heart of Derbyshire.

Come and join us.

East Anglia RMA covers the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. We were formed in January 2009 so have celebrated our 10th year in existence this year. Due to the spread-out nature of our region and consequent transport difficulties, most of our activities take place from April through to September.

We try to hold two events in each of the counties but any member is free to attend any of our gatherings. Our general meetings usually combine a visit or activity with lunch. This year, we have had a guided tour of Houghton Mill in St Ives, a tour of Saffron Walden, a visit to Stowe Bardolph gardens, a tour of Somerleyton Hall, a trip round Framlingham Castle and a celebration AGM at the Green Dragon in Wymondham.

We have a full and active executive committee and regularly send delegates to Federation meetings to keep in touch with current union activity.

If you have been retired a while or recently retired, we'd be happy for you to join us.

We cater for RMA members living in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, plus anyone close enough to join us, however casually, as we spread activities across our region. We do not expect a commitment, just let us know you are coming and join us when it suits you.

On paper, we have a large membership but effectively number 15 to 20 at most events. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month for a pub lunch followed by the opportunity of a local stroll for anyone interested.

Later in the year, with the exception of December, a second event is organised. These have included visits to museums, stately homes, churches and guided tours around heritage trails and theatres. We have also visited breweries, vineyards, farms and garden centres. All our events take place on weekdays, normally in the afternoon.

Our AGM is held on the first Tuesday of March, normally in Market Harborough.

Our calendar of events is published annually with monthly reminders sent to members via email. This also allows us to pass on communications from our Region and nationally from the NASUWT.

Lincolnshire RMA was founded in 1997 and has flourished very successfully over the years serving more than 150 members in the large county of Lincolnshire.

Our aim is to provide social activities some 8-10 times a year.  These usually involve a visit to a place of interest and a meal at a local hostelry.

Events are organised and hosted by individual committee members who try to ensure a county-wide distribution. To date, we have organised almost 200 meetings. Quite often, we are able to subsidise the cost to members.

We hold our AGM in January to which all members are invited and have committee meetings as necessary throughout the year.

Nottinghamshire RMA has almost 300 members.

We offer:

1. Information, support and friendship
2. Continued contact with the NASUWT
3. Contact with other organisations working on behalf of retired people.

We aim to plan a varied programme of activities which in the past have including:

• bird watching
• theatre visits
• coach trips to sites of historical interest
• wine tasting
• bowls
• skittles
• crazy golf
• lots of good lunches

Further details of our activities can be found on our Facebook page.

Avon is a very active RMA with a hard working committee.

Our aims are to:

1. organise social events for our members;
2. provide information and support for retired members;
3. continue to support NASUWT and its working members.

We organise an event every month. These events are very popular and normally well attended. Our calendar is varied to suit our members’ interests.  We try to use venues with access by public transport but, when this is not possible, we often share lifts.

At the start of our events, we aim to get together and offer our members tea or coffee, when we share a lot of fellowship and fun. This is a key feature of our Association and reflects the goodwill and social interaction we hope to provide. I hope you will find us a caring and inclusive group.

We produce a monthly newsletter which reports on recent activities and updates members on events that are taking place in the near future. It also provides a link to the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) which provides information on campaigns regarding issues affecting retired people.

We have offered help to our NASUWT Local Associations.

The Devon and Somerset RMA has a membership of approximately 250 retired teachers. The area of the two counties is approximately 3,923 sq. miles, 10,159 sq. km. The group normally has nine social meetings a year, visiting venues along the M5 corridor, making it easier for members to travel to the chosen venues. We hold a popular ‘Grand’ Christmas lunch at the Tiverton Hotel.

The group focuses upon having social meetings and the raising of monies for the local charity ‘Children’s Hospice SW’. This money is raised by regular raffles and donations; the Christmas ‘Grand Draw’ normally produces £200+. The group has regularly been able to raise £1,000 annually and this is presented to the charity at the AGM.

The committee is always on the lookout for new members both for the Executive Committee and general membership. Recently, members of local schools have been informed of the group’s activities in order to encourage retiring members of the NASUWT to join. All RMA members of the branch receive a regular news sheet, whilst members in adjoining areas are welcome to receive notification of social events.

The total membership in Dorset RMA is around 100 and we are always looking for new members to get involved, especially with the committee. The AGM is held in February and all members are informed by post. In the same letter, we also ask that any members interested in social events request further information. We also ask for suggestions for new social events.

The social events calendar is worked out at the AGM. To save on postage, we operate with a 'social list' so that members who wish to participate in forthcoming events are informed of them.

In the past, we have met at Sherbourne Castle for a guided tour, Weymouth and Swanage, again with a local guide who happened to be a husband of a member, and it was most interesting. Guests are welcome, at their own expense. At some time on a visit, we end up with a pub lunch, afternoon tea or sometimes both!

Cornwall is a small but active RMA with about 100 members distributed across the county. Our aims, in common with the NASUWT Retired Members’ Association, are:

1. To organise social events for our members, one each month except August
2. To provide information and support for our members
3. To continue to support NASUWT and its working members

Cornwall is famous for fabulous scenic views, its dramatic coastline and beautiful gardens. However, some areas are underpopulated and are badly served by public transport, so we aim to car share as much as possible and offer lifts to members without transport to enable them to participate in visits. We believe that all of our meetings should be accessible for all of our members.

All our members are invited to the monthly social events and will be made very welcome.

Our AGM, to which all members are welcome, is held in March each year and takes place centrally in Cornwall at the Victoria Inn, Roche, followed by lunch.

Our committee meetings are now held via Zoom which has proved very successful and is a much more economic and greener alternative to face-to-face meetings.

Information about events is disseminated to members at meetings, by post and by email. We encourage all our members to take part in our events, to remain active and to stay in touch so that we may offer support when needed.

We retain links with other RMAs across the country and send a delegate to local NPC meetings. We aim to support our working colleagues, particularly given the policies of the current government.

New members are always welcome.

You can get in touch by emailing the Cornwall RMA.

The Chilterns RMA covers a large area: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. Our AGM is usually held in December or January each year and notification, together with a newsletter, is sent out to members.

The Officers and committee make every effort to involve more members with planned activities, socials/visits, each year. We welcome new members and are always grateful for new ideas. Please do your best to attend the AGM and offer your suggestions.

We will try to arrange activities and meetings in areas that give everyone a chance to attend. These activities will be subsidise,d so, if there is something that you would like to add, please come along and share your views.

For many years the members of Hampshire RMA have enjoyed vibrant programmes of activities and support. We try to create a varied range of visits to augment the interests and social lives of retired teachers and their partners.

We always include meeting for lunch as part of the trip. Members can choose the level of participation that suits them. We are able to subsidise certain aspects of a visit. 

NASUWT members who are newly retired, or have moved into the area, are most welcome to join us.

Please see the details at the top of the page to get in touch with our Secretary, Andy Harnell.

Kent is an active RMA with over 180 members distributed throughout the county. Our three aims in common with the NASUWT Retired Members’ Association are to:

1. organise social events for our members;
2. provide information and support for retired members.
3. continue to support NASUWT and its working members.

We meet during the spring and autumn, spreading our gatherings around the county and seeking to use venues with access for members with disabilities. Our social events include visits to places of local and national interest, two general meetings at a central venue and a post-Christmas lunch, to which all members are invited.

Information about campaigns on behalf of the retired generation is disseminated at our meetings and via our RMA newsletter. If you are keen to help improve pensions, the health service, public transport, care services and other issues affecting older people, get involved.

We also retain close links with the Kent NASUWT Federation of Local Associations with an RMA presence at their AGM. We aim to support working colleagues, given some of the recent developments in education policy and practice.

The seeds of the London RMA were sown in 1980 with the inaugural meeting being held in November of that year. The founders were retired NASUWT members who had a close association in the Inner London Education Authority. Since then, numbers have grown to more than 400 and include those from the entire Greater London Region.

The AGM is held in January, immediately followed by a Planning Meeting, where those present design a programme of social and cultural events for the coming year. These include visits to and guided tours of places of interest, perhaps a guided walk and lunches at restaurants.

All members are encouraged to attend the AGMs which are held in the Greater London Regional Centre and followed by light refreshments.

The committee meets four times a year, again at the Greater London Regional Centre. Prior to the business part of the meeting, committee members insert the quarterly newsletters into envelopes ready for posting to the home addresses of all members.

The newsletters include contact details of the officers of the RMA and the editor of the newsletter, information about forthcoming events and booking forms, reviews of past visits with photographs where possible, information aimed specifically at those of retirement age and articles of a topical nature written by members, all of which comply with the rules and policies of the NASUWT.

London RMA is active in the London branch of the National Pensioners' Convention (NPC). Representatives of London RMA attend meetings of NPC and, where appropriate, disseminate information to members and participate in campaigns to improve the wellbeing of pensioners and tackle intergenerational unfairness.

A warm welcome awaits all existing and newly retired members of NASUWT.

Surrey is a small (100+) RMA with a core of about 15 activists.

We try to meet five or six times a year. Our annual activities usually include a London visit, some lunches around the local area and a day or half day out to a town, village, museum, art gallery or somewhere of historical interest. These also include lunch.

We usually have a table at the Surrey NASUWT Annual Dinner in May. Our AGM is in January at the South East Regional Centre (SERC), followed by lunch at one of the local hostelries.

Partners are always welcome to attend any function except the AGM. Whilst all activities are subsidised, that subsidy does not stretch to non-NASUWT RMA partners.

We send out two or three newsletters a year with the latest news and any updates on visits.

Our aims include:

1. Providing information and support for retired members - especially if there are any financial issues that we may be able to assist with via the NASUWT Benevolence Fund.
2. To continue to support the NASUWT and its working members in any way that we can.

We also recommend that should you run into any personal financial difficulties as a retired NASUWT member, you are entitled to approach the NASUWT Benevolent Fund for possible assistance.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our activities.

Sussex RMA is a medium-sized but active RMA, with over 140 members distributed throughout the large county of East and West Sussex with more than 70 miles of coastline.

Our aims are to:

1. organise social events for our members - 11 per year;
2. provide information and support for retired members.

In a very large but over-populated area with many attractions, we spread our gatherings around the county and always aim to use venues known to have good eating facilities and nearby attractions. We combine some of our social events with committee meetings, to which all members are invited; one of them is the AGM, held in March in Eastbourne. We subsidise many of our events, such as the annual Christmas get-together and trips to the theatre and National Trust properties. 

We also retain links with the South East NASUWT Federation of Local Associations with an RMA presence at their general meetings and meetings of the National RMA at Rednal.