Friday 12-05-2017 - 15:16

At a sparkling awards ceremony held in the Main Hall on 11 May, The Union celebrated the work of our outstanding student volunteers.

Hosted by current Student President, Lewis Bartlet and The Union’s Chief Executive, Matt Robinson, it was an an exciting opportunity to celebrate our inspirational students who have made a huge difference to the community. Awards were presented to 13 individuals who had gone beyond expectations to enhance student’s experiences at MMU.

It has been an outstanding year in volunteering, with more students than ever before contributing to the improvement of their clubs, societies, courses and communities.

Over 1,100 Course Reps have been working hard to make a difference for their course mates and improve their programmes. Some of their biggest successes this year included widening the range of workshops available in the Graduate School and even a water fountain in John Dalton.

The 64 sports clubs couldn’t run without a small army of committee volunteers, and have seen success on and off the field. In total, students from across The Union have raised over £11,000 for local and national charities this year.

The society committees, who represent some of the most diverse activity in The Union and serve over 3,000 members in 125 societies, have had their most active year ever. Student volunteers have established 44 brand new societies, covering everything from Book Club to Cirque du Met.

This year also saw some incredible committed and creative student-led campaigns. The LightUp Collective made headlines with their campaign for student safety, whilst courageous students have helped to break down the stigma surrounding mental health by telling their stories through the It’s OK campaign.

Former Union President and passionate volunteer Hannah Templeman spoke to guests at the event about her journey within the Union, and how it shaped her life. She told guests “Student Unions help shape who you are, and who you want to be”, and her experiences have led to her current role in Birmingham City University’s Union.

She told students: “As a leader of volunteers, it’s up to us to inspire others to carry the torch on.”

The event also featured guest speakers. Angela Rowe, Community Fundraising Manager at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charity and Amarpreet Kaur, a former course rep, founder of the Time to Change society, and one of last year’s winners.

With awards celebrating volunteers in sports, societies and other student-led groups, the ceremony was a wonderful way of recognising the diverse ways students make a difference to the lives of others. 

We’re proud of each and every one of our Union volunteers. They rock.