Joining Our Company
Who can join The Worshipful Company of Nurses?
We welcome all nurses providing you are, or have previously been, on the Register of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (or an equivalent regulatory body).
Students can join as an Apprentice if studying for a nursing degree that will lead to registration. Membership is open to all irrespective of age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or gender reassignment.
What does joining involve?
Joining the Worshipful Company of Nurses as a Freeman is a lifelong commitment to supporting the nursing profession. Freemen pay an annual fee (quarterage) and are expected to make a regular donation, even if small to the Charitable Trust.
As a Freemen you will receive newsletters and email updates about Company activities and events that you can join which are an important part of our fellowship.
You will also be able to access the members' log in section of the Company’s website which includes a Members’ Directory and Members' News.
Meetings and events are held throughout the year and include:
- Meetings such as the Annual Assembly
- Social events
- Professional and educational meetings; valid and useful for revalidation
- Lunches and dinners
- Annual Church Service and rededication to the profession of Nursing
You can also become involved in the work of the Company and its various Committees.
You need to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have no criminal convictions. This excludes any deemed to be spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and any that are for minor traffic offences.
- Not be an undischarged bankrupt.
- Be proposed and seconded by two members of the Company. We can arrange this on your behalf if you don’t know any current Freemen or Liverymen.
Application Process and Annual Fees (Quarterage)
Please download the application form here: [pdf] [Word].
If you do not have a proposer and seconder or have any questions relating to the application process, please e-mail enquiries@companyofnurses.co.uk before submitting your application form.
The annual fee (quarterage) is:
- Freeman £75 with a one-off joining fee of £50
- Apprentice £10. Post-registration the annual fee remains at £10 for 3 years, after which the full fee applies.
Email or post the completed application form to the address shown. The Membership Committee will review your application and make a recommendation to the Court, the governing body of the Worshipful Company.
Your application will be considered by the Court at its next meeting. Please be aware that Court meetings are held five times a year, so it could be two to three months before your application is considered.
After the Court meeting, you will be notified of the outcome by the Clerk.
Once your application has been accepted by the Court you will be invited to attend a ceremony at which you will make the Declaration of a Freeman where we warmly welcome family and friends to join you. We usually organise a reception afterwards to welcome the new Freemen for which there is a small charge. These events are very popular and a wonderful opportunity to meet other members of the Company.
If you have any questions about your application, please contact the Chairman of the Membership Committee via enquiries@companyofnurses.co.uk
Liverymen
Once you are a Freemen you will then have the option of applying to be clothed as a Liveryman of the Company. Liverymen have opportunities to take part in a wider range of activities and should also accept a greater responsibility to promote and contribute to the work of the Worshipful Company and the Charitable Trust.
An application form is available from the Clerk clerk@companyofnurses.co.uk
The first step to becoming a Liveryman is to become a Freeman of the City of London.
The Freedom of the City of London is undertaken by the Clerk to the Chamberlain’s Court at Guildhall. Obtaining the Freedom of the City is a unique part of London’s history and many people who have lived or worked in the City have been proud to be admitted. Freemen of the Worshipful Company of Nurses are encouraged to apply to become Free of the City as a Nurse. Further information and an application form are available from the Clerk clerk@companyofnurses.co.uk