2025 winner - Jane Birch, learning rep, Bolton
Photo © Kois Miah
Bolton NEU nominated learning rep Jane Birch for the Nikki Simpson award for working tirelessly to provide interesting and engaging training opportunities.
Jane said: “We see these events not only as opportunities to offer good-quality training to our members, but also to try and encourage members to become more involved in our branch and for trainee teachers to understand the importance of belonging to the union.”
About the Nikki Simpson award
This award is named after Nikki Simpson who was an exceptionally talented and passionate Learning and Development Organiser for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) in the Eastern Region. Sadly, her life was cut short by pancreatic cancer at the age of 48 in 2017. In 2006, before she even worked for a union and was working in the financial sector, she became the first person to receive the TUC’s Union Learning Rep award.
The award was presented to her by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair. She brought the passion and belief for both the power of learning and unions to the ATL, and this award was created in her honour to celebrate achievements within Union Learning.
Nikki devoted her whole energy to whatever she was doing, creating learning opportunities for hundreds of members in her region and building the union’s presence wherever she went.
“I have seen co-workers and families brought together by union learning, I have seen laughter and success. I have worked with innovative people who deliver innovative learning in innovative ways to their members… and those people are unions.” – quote from a blog written by Nikki upon winning the TUCs Union Learning Rep Award in 2006.