Student Voice and Fundraising/Volunteering Awards Round-Up
Our combined Student Voice and Fundraising/Volunteering Awards ceremony was an amazing opportunity to celebrate every single student that was shortlisted for one of our awards, as well as their successes. They all shared a common commitment to creating an impact on our community and we were able to shine a well-deserved spotlight on those exceptional individuals who have gone the extra mile to make a change, create a positive impact, and champion the needs of their peers.
Volunteering and Fundraising Award
Our Volunteering and Fundraising Award’s celebrate the amazing impact and commitment of Bristol's students to volunteer and fundraising work. Our volunteers and Fundraisers are at the heart of our university and the wider Bristol community and, through their efforts to make a life for students and other individuals better, have made a profound difference.
You can read more about each award and winner here:
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Education Volunteering or Fundraising Award!
This is a brand-new award for an individual that has spent significant hours volunteering and/or fundraising for an educational cause, showing commitment to at least one volunteering/fundraising project and demonstrating their impact on the Bristol community.
WINNER: The Bristol SU LGBTQ+ Society
The Bristol SU LGBTQ+ Society has worked as a team to deliver 17 separate teaching sessions on LGBTQ+ allyship and inclusion for the City of Bristol College, for 16-18-year-olds. These covered definitions of LGBTQ+ terms, fact checks, LGBTQ+ history, and inclusivity. These sessions were valuable to not only educate and nurture inclusivity in the college but also helped LGBTQ+ students to feel heard, understood, and safer.
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Sustainability Volunteering and Fundraising Award
An Award for a group or individual who has made a brilliant contribution to environmental sustainability. Whether that’s being dedicated to a local conservation project or having helped a local organisation work out how to reduce their carbon footprint, this award recognises it!
WINNER: Tobias Rudling
Tobias Rudling has shown continued efforts in the Bristol University Conservation Group. Tobias has been instrumental in re-engaging after the pandemic and supported many wildlife initiatives including planting fruit trees and bulbs at our campus, creating new meadows, building log houses, installing hedgehog highway holes, and planting the new woodland at Fenswood Farm.
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International Volunteering/Fundraising Project Award
This important award recognises groups or individuals who have made an impact on a community outside of the UK or on international people in the UK.
WINNER: University of Bristol Islamic Society
The University of Bristol Islamic Society, have used social media to educate, raise awareness, and keep members connected. Brisoc’s Ramadan Project fundraised to provide free hot meals to fasting & non-fasting students and they promoted individual responsibility for the environment by hosting waste-free iftars. Brisoc has also hosted an inter-uni hike and Auction dinner and Grand iftar hosted 250 people. During Charity Week, they raised over £14,000 for orphans and needy children around the world.
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Health and Wellbeing Volunteering or Fundraising Project Award
This award is for a group or an individual who has put time into supporting the Health and Wellbeing sector, perhaps through volunteering at a care home or fundraising for a mental health charity.
WINNER: CLICendales
CLICendales is a group of medics raising funds for Young Lives Vs Cancer. They have raised over £66,000 through ticket sales and events - accounting for over 1/2 the amount the charity will receive in total this year. As medical students, they see the devastating impact of cancer on families and are inspired by individuals who have been financially, emotionally, and physically supported by the charity.
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Diversity and Inclusion Volunteering or Fundraising Project Award
This award is for a project or fundraiser that brings people together. For instance, contributing to closing the educational, social & economic gaps in society that have worsened since Covid 19, or making a positive difference to an underrepresented group.
WINNER: University of Bristol Phab
The University of Bristol Phab has consistently delivered inclusive social events. By sourcing adapted sports equipment, they enable more disabled people to participate in a range of sports without barriers or judgment. This year in addition to their regular club nights they have run fundraisers, run activities with some local elderly population, and had a trip to the cinema.
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RAG Fundraiser of the Year Award
The RAG (Raising and Giving) Society is the fundraising arm of the SU. They fundraise thousands each year for local and international causes. But which event raised the most? Which challenge was the most difficult? Which fundraising campaign really stood out?
WINNER: Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce, the head of RAG, has taken every opportunity they can to improve the image and standing that the society has on campus. As President, she's personally overseen 3 challenge teams fundraising tens of thousands, managed and attended almost every event, and cultivated a successful society.
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Individual Outstanding Contribution
The Individual Outstanding Contribution Award is for that one person who really stood out as part of a project, fundraiser, or event that impacted the Bristol community.
WINNER: Anna Pollard
Anna Pollard, at Bristol Spartans Basketball, is an absolute powerhouse as part of the Spartans Basketball club. Anna has built relationships with local organisations offering inclusive sporting activities, created the first wheelchair basketball varsity event for Bristol and UWE, and generally championed the place that para-sport should have in Bristol.
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Group Community Impact Award
The Group Community Impact Award recognises the outstanding positive impact your group has had on the local community, after spending a significant amount of time and energy on important causes.
WINNER: The Bristol Paws Project
The Bristol Paws Project held a vaccine drive for dog owners in Bristol that wouldn’t have been able to receive this care otherwise. Teams within the society also work in several outreach groups in Bristol that provide support to homeless or disadvantaged people and their pets.
Student Voice Award
Our Student Voice Award's celebrate all of the student leaders that have used their voices for positive change and demonstrated a passion to transform the student experiences of their peers! The ceremony was a brilliant opportunity to take some time to shine a well-deserved spotlight on those exceptional individuals who have fearlessly overcome obstacles and championed the needs of their peers.
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The Changemaking Award
An award that recognises a student-led campaign or project that has made real change in the lives of Bristol students. Our panel worked to identify an individual that may have innovative campaign methods and activities,
WINNER: Ruth Day
Ruth Day has participated in and led a number of campaigns this year on a grassroots level, including the Bristol Students Housing Co-op which takes an innovative and radical approach to creating change for students. It has clear potential for future development to better the lives of Bristol students, and to make student housing affordable, democratic, and safe.
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Global Community Impact Award
This award recognises an individual or group of students who have created change on a global level, raised awareness of important global matters, or made a positive contribution to support our global community, whether here in Bristol or abroad.
WINNER: Brisoc
Brisoc has raised awareness about global matters and building communities within the university, whilst also bridging the gap between students and the wider Bristol community. During Ramadan, Brisoc collaborated on the Open Iftar, which brought non-Muslims and Muslims together to celebrate and educate about cultural and faith differences. Brisoc’s 'Charity Week' and 'Believe And Do Good' campaigns aimed to raise awareness and money for global matters (eg raising over £14,000 for orphan children around the world) and local matters (eg homelessness around bristol).
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Commitment to Democracy Award
This award recognises an individual student who has shown a real commitment to Bristol SU’s democratic processes and structures this year. Perhaps they worked to improve democratic processes, encouraged real engagement from the wider student body, or made real change through Bristol SU’s democratic and representative structures.
WINNER: Timber Hill
Timber Hill has been incredibly engaged with the SU's democratic structures this year, participating enthusiastically on all levels. This has included being successfully elected to a Network Committee, where she has pushed for better policies for trans students at the university, and as a delegate to represent Bristol students nationally at NUS conference.
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Sustainable Change-Maker Award
This award celebrates an individual or student group who has gone above and beyond to enact real positive environmental and sustainable change at the university. This could include, encouraging a major change in how sustainability is embedded within their curriculum, or maybe coming up with a new scheme to reduce waste in halls.
WINNER: Shandin Rickard-Hughes
Shandin Rickard-Hughes has worked and volunteered in multiple sustainability projects while at Bristol. Shandin volunteers in the School of Education climate action group, proposed a new master's course on Education and Climate Change (which was successful and will run in 2023/24) and proposed & coordinated a School-wide Climate Town Hall event to get student and staff feedback.
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Undergraduate Academic Representation Award
The Undergraduate Academic Representation Award spotlights all of the work and dedication that certain academic reps, groups, or individuals have shown to improve and transform the education experience of undergraduate students at Bristol.
WINNER: Sam Williams
Sam Williams has shown his passion as a faculty rep this year by consistently representing the voice of students and fighting for their needs. He has also successfully implemented change in the form of additional mock exams, demonstrating his innovation in the role and his ongoing commitment to improving the academic experience of his peers.
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Postgraduate Academic Representation Award
This award celebrates the work of an academic rep, group, or individual who has shown innovation, dedication, and passion to improve and transform the education experience of postgraduate students at Bristol.
WINNER: Gina Walter
Gina Walter has evidently gone above and beyond the expectations of a faculty rep, to ensure arts PGRs are both represented and supported during their experience. This has included engaging with stakeholders within and outside of the university, taking an innovative approach to representation/campaigning by working closely with UCU and improving all areas of the PGR experience for all types of PGRs.
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Liberation Award
This award recognises an individual or group of students that have gone above and beyond in understanding and promoting Equality, Diversity, and Liberation – one of our core Bristol SU Values.
WINNER: The Trans Students’ Network
The Trans Students' Network Committee have demonstrated their commitment to equality and diversity by building a safe and supportive community for trans students at Bristol. They have hosted a number of successful events, including some targeted towards wider groups of students (such as the Found Family Festive Feast) to reach beyond their 'usual suspects' and showing their dedication to liberation.
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Student Leader Award
This award celebrates the work of an individual student who has gone beyond the day-to-day role of representing their peers or leading a group of students. These students will have engaged with and improved the student experience through innovation, dedication, and passion.
WINNER: Ore Onikoyi
Ore Onikoyi is the president of Bristol ACS and received a number of nominations for this category, demonstrating the impact she has on her society and its members. This commitment has been above and beyond the day-to-day role, by establishing a safe space and vibrant community for black students in Bristol, hosting successful events for them, supporting first years, etc. There is clear evidence of Ore improving the student experience through her leadership.
What an amazing year of student success! Congratulations to each and every one of you – you have had an incredible impact on your Students’ Union. See you next year!
