Information on Loughborough

Record nominations for University community awards

Posted on 20/05/2009

Loughborough University Website

Record nominations for University community awards

Thanks to a record number of nominations the judging panel for Loughborough University’s student community awards faced a tough challenge in choosing the winners for 2009.

Some 37 nominations were received in total for two awards which are presented annually by the University to recognise and reward its students who have taken part in community activities and made outstanding contributions to the local area. After much deliberation the judges decided to make three main awards and four commendations.

Two students will receive The TS Shipman Prize. This is for students of the University or College who are considered to have contributed most to the development of co-operation and aid between the University or College and the local community.

Hannah Beasley, a student from the Department of Social Sciences and Leanne Ingram, a student from the Department of English will receive their awards in recognition of their varied community activities. They will receive certificates and a financial prize.

Hannah has contributed to a range of projects carried out through the Community Action section of Loughborough Students’ Union. She has been a committee member and made outstanding contributions to special events carried out by the Action team. In her final year she became a project leader and attracted a record number of participants in two events that she led. Hannah has also actively encouraged others to become involved in volunteering.

Leanne’s award comes as a result of her sustained contribution to the Students helping Students scheme which supports the work of the Student Outreach and Recruitment Office (SOAR). Leanne has played an essential part in the student outreach work which the University does with schools and colleges across the East Midlands. She has acted as a positive role model for hundreds of young people from disadvantages backgrounds, inspiring them to follow in her footsteps into higher education.

Certificates of commendation will also be presented to Christopher Campbell of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences for playing a key role in the development and delivery of a coaching and refereeing programme in the community, Christopher Cox of the Department of Civil and Building Engineering for his role as an Action Hall representative encouraging fellow hall members to participate and Andy Dyke also of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences for acting as Sports Activities Coordinator for Community Action and his help for the Students Helping Students scheme.

The second award, The Hannah Community Prize, is specifically to recognise students’ contribution to local community life, acts of kindness or good neighbourliness. The Prize is in memory of a former student, Mr George Alexander Hannah and the financial reward for the winners comes from funds bequeathed to the University in his memory.

Stefan Carney, a student from the Department of Politics, International Relations and European Studies will receive this award for his involvement with a residents group, his voluntary work and for support given to an individual member of the community. In a first in the history of the University community awards, this honour is being presented to Stefan for the second consecutive year.

The assessor panel for this award also agreed that the good works of a Aidan McCormack should be acknowledged. Aidan, a student from the Department of Human Sciences has been recognised for voluntary work in a local school for children with special needs and for a related act of kindness.

Professor Shirley Pearce, Vice Chancellor will present the prizes in a ceremony taking place at Loughborough Town Hall on Wednesday 20 May at 5 pm. She will be joined by the new Charnwood Borough Council Mayor, Councillor Roy Brown, other local Councillors and representatives from Charnwood CVS.

Speaking on behalf of the panel of assessors Adrian Bailey, Community Warden said: “We were delighted by the record number of high quality nominations this year. Whilst it made awarding the prizes a tough job, it clearly shows the community is seeing a great deal of benefit from the contributions being made by Loughborough’s students.”

Professor Shirley Pearce, Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University comments: “It is always a great pleasure to hear about the contributions our students are making within the community and to present the awards. All the students being rewarded today deserve recognition for their outstanding achievements and we are delighted to be able to reward their efforts. They are model students and an example for all.”