Remembering Jane McAlevey

 On the day I got the message letting me know about an online memorial service for the sadly departed Jane McAlevey, I was looking through some books and I found my copy of Raising Expectations….

It’s signed by Jane and it reminds me of when I met her in person when she came to a meeting of organisers at the NUT. 

This was my final all organisers meeting with the NUT before I went on to work at the EIS where I have now been for eight years. 

I was anxious at the time as it was a big move, moving from the only teaching union I had ever joined and only one I had ever worked for, where I had deep roots, to one in another nation. 

Jane led a brilliant organising session but what I remember most is sitting with her and some colleagues in the hotel bar afterwards and discussing campaigns and organising including a housing campaign I was involved in at the time. 

Though it was obvious that Jane was jet lagged, having only flown in recently, she stayed there late in to the night and we talked about what we were doing and how we can make change happen. 

Before we left I got my book signed by Jane where she put a good luck message for my move to Scotland and I left that training session feeling so much more positive, hopeful, optimistic and just generally so much more comfortable and excited at the same time for the next step in my journey.

I will always be thankful to Jane for that. 

Rest in power