Community Service and Volunteer of the Year Awards 2011
14 Mar 2011
Nominations invited in staff, student and alumnus categories by 1 April (extended deadline)
The Community Service & Volunteer of the Year Awards help the University to recognise and celebrate the significant time and energy given by its members to help disadvantaged groups in the community – locally, nationally and internationally.
The awards will be presented by the President & Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nancy Rothwell, and will be given in three categories:
- Staff of the Year - open to any current staff member of the University
- Student of the Year - open to any current undergraduate or postgraduate of the University of Manchester
- Alumnus of the Year - open to any alumnus of the University of Manchester (including Victoria University and UMIST)
To be eligible for these awards, the volunteering activity must address disadvantaged groups or deprived communities and, in the case of staff and alumni, must not be for work that might be expected to be completed as part of a person’s job.
Each winner will receive a prize for the organisation where they volunteer: £300 for the overall winner, and £200 and £100 for the 2nd and 3rd place runners-up.
In addition the overall winners will be put forward as recipients for the annual suite of University medals - The University Social Responsibility Medal.
Both awards support the University’s commitment to encourage students and staff to engage positively with the wider community.
Nominations are now open and the closing date is Friday 1 April 2011.
Last year’s winner of the staff award, Dr Alison Jeffers from the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, who volunteers with survivors of torture, said: “I feel very proud to have won this award and honoured to be the first member of staff to win the Medal for Social Responsibility. I enjoy volunteering because I get to do things and meet people that would not be possible as part of my job or social life. I believe we have an obligation to share the huge privilege we enjoy in the university with those outside the institution.”
We hope that as many staff as possible will support this initiative by nominating themselves or others and encouraging students to take part.