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Guide to Taking Part in Nationwide’s 2026 AGM

This guide is based on Nationwide’s published AGM information together with my personal experience of attending last year’s AGM using the same Civica Election Services (CES) platform. While I expect this year’s process to be very similar, please follow any instructions provided by Nationwide if they differ on the day.

AGM Countdown Checklist

✅ VOTE before 10:30am on Monday 13th July – see How to vote for James for further instructions.

✅ Install and test Zoom if you want / are invited to ask a question live by video.

✅ Join James’ informal Zoom practice session at 3pm on Tuesday 14th July.

✅ Have your voting codes and Meeting Code: 30459 ready. Request your codes via this process if you don’t have them already.

✅ Prepare (and rehearse) one concise question – members rarely get the opportunity to ask more than one given time constraints.

✅ Join the AGM from 10:00am on Wednesday 15th July – you can login 30 mins before the 10.30am start.

✅ Volunteer to ask your question live by video if given the option – these tend to have more impact.

✅ VOTE at the AGM – see How to vote for James for further instructions.

Nationwide’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is your opportunity, as a Member, to hear directly from the Board, ask questions, and vote on the resolutions before the Society.

Whether you’ve already voted by proxy or plan to vote during the meeting, I strongly encourage you to attend.

A healthy mutual depends on engaged Members. Simply taking part helps demonstrate that Members care about how the Society is governed.

Key Dates

  • Monday 13 July 2026 at 10:30am – Advance (proxy) voting closes. If you haven’t already voted, please don’t leave it until the last minute. You can request codes to do this online – they are sent via email.
  • Tuesday 14 July 2026 at 3pm – James’ Test Zoom call for those that want help / check settings for asking a question live on video at the AGM.
  • Wednesday 15 July 2026 – the Nationwide’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    • 10am – LOGIN opens 30 mins before the meeting starts
    • 10.30am – START of meeting with Chairman’s opening remarks, etc.
    • 10.45am approx – Q&A begins

Nationwide’s AGM information is available here: https://www.nationwide.co.uk/about-us/have-your-say/our-agm

To join the meeting on the day:

Why Attend?

The AGM is about much more than voting.

It is your opportunity to:

  • hear directly from the Chair, other Board members, and key Executives;
  • understand how the Society has performed;
  • ask questions about issues that matter to you;
  • hear questions from other Members;
  • help hold the Board and Executives to account
  • see the preliminary results of the voting on the listed resolutions, including the (re-)election of directors

Even if you’ve already voted, attending the AGM is one of the most direct ways to participate in Member democracy.

How the Online AGM Works

Based on my experience of last year’s AGM, the process is straightforward once you understand how it works.

After logging into the AGM meeting platform (run by Civica Election Services: “CES”), you’ll see a live video stream of the AGM. If you join before the meeting starts, you’ll simply see the holding pattern until proceedings begin with background music and a few slides on rotation.

You can submit questions by text using the Q&A section of the platform. Last year there was also a tab called “Request to Speak”.

If you have chosen Request to Speak, and you are selected, you’ll receive a Zoom invitation from Nationwide.

You’ll then:

  • join a separate Zoom meeting;
  • be welcomed by a Nationwide representative;
  • be placed into your own breakout room once the technical setup is checked;
  • continue watching the AGM through Zoom until you’re called.

When your turn comes, you’ll be brought into the live Zoom room for the AGM to ask your question live. You will be visible to all online viewers.

After your question (and any follow-up), you’ll return briefly to the Nationwide representative before leaving Zoom and rejoining the AGM through the main CES platform.

💡 JAMES’ TIP: Install Zoom before Wednesday, make sure your microphone and camera work properly, and familiarise yourself with the software in advance. Ensure your surname is clearly displayed in the Zoom settings.

Preparing Before the AGM

Before Wednesday, I recommend that you:

  • read the AGM papers;
  • decide what question (if any) you’d like to ask;
  • install and test Zoom;
  • check your audio (microphone and speakers) and video (screen and camera);
  • use a reliable internet connection;
  • have your voting codes ready;
  • join the AGM shortly after 10:00am Wednesday rather than waiting until 10:30am.

If you have a second computer, tablet or phone available, it can also be useful as a backup.

💡 JAMES’ TIP I’m holding an informal Zoom practice session on Tuesday 3pm for anyone who wants to check their camera, microphone and Zoom settings before the AGM.

Asking Questions

The AGM is one of the few occasions each year when Members can put questions directly to the Board.

Don’t assume someone else will ask the question you’re thinking about.

If an issue matters to you, ask it.

Keep your question:

  • concise;
  • polite;
  • focused on one topic;
  • easy to answer within the AGM.

💡 JAMES’ TIP : If your ambition is to ask your question live, think carefully about the question you submit. The Board is naturally more likely to select questions that are relevant to the business of the AGM and capable of being answered during the meeting. If invited to ask it live, you may then have the opportunity to ask a brief follow-up question.

Suggested Questions

Member democracy

• How does the Board intend to strengthen Member engagement between AGMs?

Board Elections

• What lessons has the Board learned from this year’s Election, and will it review the Election process before next year’s AGM?

Quick Vote

• Will the Board review whether Quick Vote gives sufficient prominence to independent Member Nominated Candidates?

Executive pay

• Should Members have a binding vote on executive remuneration, as shareholders do at listed banks?

Fairer Share

• Would the Board consider making Fairer Share available to all eligible Members through transparent criteria rather than discretionary annual decisions?

Hybrid AGMs

• Will the Board consider restoring hybrid AGMs so Members can choose whether to attend online or in person?

Member rights

• What further opportunities will Members have to influence important strategic decisions between AGMs?

If You’re Selected to Ask Your Question Live

  • Mute the CES platform to avoid audio feedback.
  • Look into the camera where possible.
  • Speak clearly.
  • Ask your question promptly without a long introduction.
  • Listen carefully to the answer.
  • If invited, ask a short, focused follow-up question.

💡 JAMES’ TIP Live questions are often more impactful than written ones.

If Your Question Isn’t Selected

Not every question can be answered during the meeting.

Every question submitted demonstrates that Members are engaged and helps highlight the issues that matter most to the Society’s owners.

After the AGM

A verbatim transcript is usually produced after the meeting e.g.

Whatever the outcome of this year’s Election, I believe this AGM is the beginning of an important new chapter for Member democracy.

I’ll be publishing my analysis of the meeting, the Election result and my plans for “The Next Episode” shortly after the AGM.

I hope you’ll continue to support my efforts to improve member democracy.

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