2024 Young Activist of the Year Award

Nominations for the 2024 Young Activist of the Year Award are open all year round.

The closing date for nominations for the 2024 Awards is Friday 19 January 2024.

Nominations made after the closing date will automatically be entered for consideration for the following year’s awards.

Please use the forms on the right/below to make as many nominations as you want.

2023 Young Activist of the Year Award

The Young Activist of the Year Award was presented at Annual Conference 2023 to Grainne Morgan from the Armagh and Craigavon Association.

Grainne Morgan from the Armagh and Craigavon Association

Grainne has been an active voice in the trade union movement since joining the NASUWT. She first undertook the role of Learning and Teaching Representative within her workplace and enhanced the curriculum and core purpose of the college, whilst ensuring that teachers' workload was manageable, sustainable and realistic.  

She went on to be an active member of her Local Association and has spoken at conferences on behalf of the Union. She is now a member of the Northern Ireland Council, supports many members and has actively recruited many new teachers to the NASUWT.

The Award

The Eamonn O’Kane Young Activist of the Year Award was created to:

  • encourage activism amongst young members;

  • recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of young members to the work of the NASUWT;

  • provide award winners with opportunities to broaden and develop their knowledge and experience of the NASUWT and the wider trade union movement.

The criteria

The nominee will have been successful in one or more of the areas listed below:

  • heightened the NASUWT’s profile;

  • promoted the work of the NASUWT;

  • increased the membership of the NASUWT;

  • organised members in a workplace or wider constituency;

  • promoted trade union activism in a workplace or wider constituency;

  • delivered identifiable benefits to members and/or the NASUWT as an organisation.

2022 Young Activist of the Year Award

The Young Activist of the Year Award was presented at Annual Conference 2022 to Sarah Adams from the Walsall Association.

Sarah Adams from the Walsall Association

Sarah became a double award winner after picking up both Young Activist of the Year and Recruiter of the Year. As the first Workplace Representative in her primary school, she doubled the membership as a result of her hard work and willingness to stand up for the rights of staff. Her achievements include all staff now receiving their statutory PPA entitlement, supporting colleagues through the performance management process and encouraging members to collectively tackle adverse management practices. Sarah has not stopped there: she also became the minutes secretary after joining the Walsall Local Association Executive team.