Celebrating student success in the local community
The University of York’s Careers team hosted a special awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of over 900 students who have contributed to the University and wider York community.
The celebration, held at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, provided an opportunity for the University to thank students for their proactive, philanthropic and enterprising activity over the past year.
It was also a chance to thank local schools and organisations for their continued support of initiatives such as York Students in Schools and York Students in Communities.
Almost 300 students, as well as representatives from local schools and organisations, attended the evening which was hosted by Professor Colin Mellors, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business and Community.
The awards ceremony included the presentation of The York Award Special Prizes and the Shepherd Group Awards for Student Volunteering.
It is important to recognise the great work of our students and the impact they can have on the local community and their own personal development while at University
Liz Smith
Liz Smith, the University’s Director of Careers, said: “This is the first time we have combined these awards in a large scale event and it was wonderful to see such a great turn out of students, University staff and external partners. It is important to recognise the great work of our students and the impact they can have on the local community and their own personal development while at University.”
The York Award of the Year was presented to David Mark Smith, a mature student studying medicine, who has managed his own business Firefly Specialists Ltd, to finance his studies, alongside volunteering as a Community First Responder and undertaking further emergency medical training courses.
The York Award Special Prizes were presented to Lucy Wilkinson (Award for Contribution to the Arts), Rose Troup Buchanan (Award for Contribution to Student Societies), Ryan Bellman-Jeffreys (Award for Contribution to Business/Enterprise) and Amy Moss (Award for Contribution to the Community).
Shepherd Group Awards for Student Volunteering were presented in three categories – Outstanding Contribution to York Students in Schools, Outstanding Contribution to York Students in Communities and Outstanding Contribution to The @Work Programme.
York Students in Schools (YSIS) recruits, trains and places over 600 student volunteers a year, who bring to the classroom an enthusiasm for their subject, provide an extra pair of hands and act as valuable role models for young people.
The Outstanding Contribution to York Students in Schools Award was presented to Emma Rickard, who was nominated by Fulford School. Emma created additional resources and attended extra lessons, ensuring the pupils performed to the best of their ability.
York Students in Communities provides students with a chance to volunteer in partnership with schools, charities, businesses or community groups from across York through team-based projects and placements.
The Outstanding Contribution to York Students in Communities Award was won by the Huntington Mentoring Project. This involved a team of students offering support to 12 girls at Huntington School who required confidence and external support to help them achieve their true potential.
This year 25 student teams participated in @Work, a collaboration between Careers and the Departments of Education, History of Art, and English and Related Literature to help students develop their skills, enhance their employability and gain valuable experience while supporting a range of community organisations.
The Outstanding Contribution to The @Work Programme Award was presented to two projects - the Blood + Chocolate Radio Show and Nunnington Hall Autumn Festival Guide.
The night included a special thank you to York Society Trust for providing the student prizes, and to the Shepherd Group for their continued commitment to sponsoring student volunteering at York.
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