UCLU VSU awards ceremony: celebrating our student volunteers
25 May 2017
This week,
![UCLU VSU awards ceremony: celebrating our student volunteers UCLU VSU awards ceremony: celebrating our student volunteers](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/sites/news/files/styles/large_image/public/vsu-awards.jpg?itok=V48l8puE)
The event began with, John Braime, the VSU Volunteering Manager, reflecting on the positive social change volunteering can have, as well as allowing students to develop new skills and make new friends. He highlighted how the small deeds of students can and do change lives.
60,000 volunteering hours
Vice-Provost for Education and Student Affairs, Professor Anthony Smith, drew attention to the incredible 2,100 volunteers this year who have contributed more than 60,000 hours to 67 student led projects and 221 external charities and organisations. He sincerely thanked them for all their hard work.
As students who have volunteered themselves, Nick Edmonds (Activities and Events Officer) and Riley Forson (President of the Citizenship and Crime Project) gave personal insights into how volunteering at UCL has helped to develop them as individuals, as well as equipping them with skills they need to pursue their careers.
Each student, who had volunteered with the VSU, was awarded a certificate, with additional commendation going to those who were project leaders.
Volunteering roles of students with external
organisations ranged from working in museums to marathons and from libraries to
media production. Student-led projects this year have included Headucate
(tackling mental health stigma and discrimination), Politeach (teaching
politics to primary school children), Suture the Future (teaching suturing to
comprehensive secondary schools) and the After School Crew (ensuring that all
children have equal access to education).
Make London Home
![After School Crew Best Newcomer award winners for a Student Led-project After School Crew Best Newcomer award winners for a Student Led-project](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/sites/news/files/styles/super_xl_image/public/vsu-awards-2.jpg?itok=myQQYhWQ)
A special prize was given for the UCLU Student Led Project of the Year, with the winners being Make London Home - a scheme that has collected donations from students and staff across UCL in order to provide clothing to the homeless. The runners up for this category were UCL Marrow, the student branch of the national charity Anthony Nolan, saving lives of those with blood cancer.
The After School Crew were given the award for UCLU Best Newcomer Student Led Project of the Year, due to its success in assisting children within the local community with homework, whilst also bridging gaps and establishing relationships.
Special recognition was also given to an organisation that students felt gave them the best overall volunteering experience. The prize for UCL Volunteering Organisation of the Year went to Spectrum - a project founded and run by medical students to foster the development and happiness of disabled children.
The remarkable achievements of both students and staff at the event echo the growth of VSU since it first began in 2002. The VSU currently has a standing total of 440,000 completed hours of volunteering over the years.
If you would like to get involved with volunteering at UCL, you can find out more by visiting UCLU Volunteering Services Unit's website.
Ayesha Khan, myUCL Student Journalist