STUDENT NEWS

Volunteers Charlotte Aldred and Lucy Watson.

Contact Student Volunteers celebrate volunteering

Outstanding volunteers recognised

Contact Student Volunteers recently hosted a night of celebration and recognition for over 80 University of Leicester student volunteers and their guests. The students were joined by representatives from local voluntary organisations as well as by the Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Robert Burgess.

It has been an incredible year for Contact and there was a lot to celebrate, with over 600 students volunteering over the past year in a diverse range of volunteering projects

Students who demonstrated outstanding commitment to volunteering were given a Special Achievement Award after being nominated by their projects. Special Achievement Award winners were Noorie Dowlut, Julia Malkin MBE, Charlotte Aldred, Lucy Watson and Cecil Williams.

Three students achieved the Volunteering England Gold Awards this year, the only national Student Volunteering Award that recognises Achievement, Dedication and Leadership within Higher Education. The awards went to Nickita Chauhan for her leadership and dedication in her role as Contact President and for her part in organising activities with local care homes. Gareth Hughes won a Gold Award for his and dedication to Contact Student Volunteers as a Marketing Officer and his involvement in student led school projects. Avril Newman achieved a Gold Award for her outstanding commitment to Learning for the Fourth Age.

The most prestigious award of the evening, The Frank May Cup for the Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Victoria Nunn, a final year Psychology undergraduate student. Victoria was nominated for this award for her substantial role in a project called Learning for the 4th Age where learning mentors meet up with elderly residents in care homes to teach them new things but also to exchange knowledge. In this project she had a more challenging placement than most volunteers working with people with dementia. The second project to nominate Victoria for the title ‘Volunteer of the Year’ was the National Autistic Society. Victoria has been volunteer befriender with them since spring of 2010. Furthermore, Victoria has also volunteered for Leicester Nightline and right to read and is currently an active volunteer at the Monday Club, a social club for adults with Aspergers Syndrome.

It was Victoria’s commitment and her ability to support others and make a difference in the people she volunteers with that earned her the award. As a tribute to her dedication to volunteering over her three years at the university, Victoria will also be presented with the Frank May Volunteer of the Year Cup by Professor Sir Robert Burgess during her graduation ceremony.

For further information or if you are a student interested in volunteering, please e-mail Contact Student Volunteers: contact@le.ac.uk

Contact Executive Committee 2011, from left to right: Gareth Hughes, Gavin Eade, Hannah Elam, Nickita Chauhan and Alastair Naismith