The lifetime contribution award recognises the outstanding achievement of an individual who has dedicated their life to the student movement and who has made a remarkable impact on NUS, students’ unions and students’ lives. There is no one who embodies that description better than this year’s recipient of the lifetime contribution award - Ian King.
Ian has dedicated his entire life to the student movement - his first involvement in the world of students’ unions was as an activist. He was so absorbed by the student movement that he moved on to a career in students’ union management, latterly becoming General Manager of Birmingham University Guild of Students. During his time at Birmingham, the Guild was widely recognised as one of the best students’ unions in the country, physically transformed and widely respected, with outstanding officers and staff.
He was involved in both the establishment of the purchasing consortium NUS Services and was a founder of the students’ union superannuation scheme.
Ian is a pioneer and trailblazer. He was developing strategic plans at a time when the consensus was that students’ unions were unable to think beyond one year. He conceived NUS Extra and saw it through to fruition saving students millions of pounds, whilst simultaneously generating much needed income for students’ unions and NUS. And five years ago Ian was predicting the monumental impact of social networking and how it would transform student lifestyle and social interactions before anyone else had even heard of the term.
Under his leadership, NUS Services became a dynamic, professional, forward looking organisation generating thousands and thousands of pounds for students’ unions and accelerating commercial leadership across the UK.
Ian coined the phrase commerce with a conscience and NUS Services’ ethical and environmental work flourished under Ian’s leadership. He not only ensured the student movement was greener and more ethical but so were its suppliers – positively changing the working practices of Coca-Cola and Coors amongst others.