I first became aware of TUC affiliation many years ago when, as a Branch representative for my Royal College of Midwives (RCM) branch, I attended the RCM Annual Conference. At that time, most of the Conference was spent debating and voting on motions that had been submitted by RCM branches.

One of the motions was requesting our then Council to seek affiliation to the TUC. The passage of time has dulled my recollection of the debate and even the result of the vote (we are talking the 1980s), but I can clearly recall a consensus that, whatever the outcome, it was never going to happen.

Our members were a little top conservative and it very much had a twin set and pearls reputation, even if many members were heavily into the New Romantics.

The motion appeared on a number of occasions but then seemed to die a death. And there it may have stayed if it wasn't for our relationship with unionlearn and the Union learning Fund (ULF).

In 2009, the RCM made a decision to make a ULF bid. For many trade unions, this would have been a no brainer, but, for the RCM, it wasn't a decision that was made that easily. The education and learning of midwives was seen to be the domain of Universities and the Practise Development Midwife. There was no place for a traditional trade union approach in this.

But, we grasped the nettle and successfully got project funding to set up a network of learning representatives to offer a range of learning opportunities to midwives and, by that time, maternity support workers, as the RCM had just widened membership to this important part of the maternity workforce.

What we didn't anticipate was the huge impact the project would have on the revitalisation of our branches. Members that may not have wanted to be active as a steward or health and safety representative started becoming active in the learning agenda. Branches started putting on events on a range of issues and not just professional. For example, one of our branches set up a choir that has proven to be hugely popular.

We gradually started moving from being an organisation that provided a service for our members to one that encouraged and supported members to do things for themselves and their colleagues.

On that back of this, the RCM developed its first organising strategy in 2011. We slowly started seeing ourselves as a trade union and professional organisation that organised its members. And, although we still have a long way to go, I am in no doubt that, without this, we would never have achieved the amazing turnout in last year's Pay Campaign.

I was delighted to be on the group that took forward the case for TUC affiliation. During the process, I became more aware of the opportunities it would give RCM members to develop their skills on a range of issues and to play an increasing role in voicing the value of midwifery and the maternity service using the TUC platform.

Thirty years on from that first toe in the water, I am proud to have been part of the RCM becoming the first Royal College to join the TUC.