VOLUNTEERING AWARDS 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen, the nominations for the Heriot-Watt Volunteering Awards 2024 are now OPEN!
For those of you who have never participated in the volunteering awards or perhaps never even heard of them, here is a small rundown.
WATT TO EXPECT
The Volunteering Awards is an annual event designed to recognise and celebrate the hard work of the volunteers who work behind the scenes here at Heriot-Watt. This is an evening to bring attention to the work that often goes unnoticed and to show our appreciation to these special individuals. We celebrate our Society Leaders, Class Reps, Department Officers and a whole host of others who work tiresomely to improve the university experience for students. We strongly encourage as many students as possible to get involved and cast their votes. With a record number of nominations given at last years awards, it would be great to see a similar participation at this year’s awards!
Nominations for the Volunteering Awards 2024 are NOW OPEN and will close on Friday the 8th of March!
THE 2024 VOLUNTEER AWARDS:
PRINCIPAL'S AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
This award recognises a student who has made a significant contribution to our local community outside of Heriot-Watt University. The recipient of this award may have volunteered with local charities or organisations, fundraised, or created a project or event with a local impact, though nominations are not limited to these activities.
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PRINCIPAL'S AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDENT COMMUNITY
This award recognises someone who has made a significant contribution to the Heriot-Watt University student experience. The recipient may have volunteered or created a project or event with a real tangible impact, though nominations are not limited to these activities.
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OPEN DOOR AWARD
This award recognises a student or student group who has contributed to creating a vibrant, inclusive and respectful community on campus. The students who receive this nomination may have supported cross-cultural activities on campus or created welcoming spaces and events for a range of students. They will have also made considerations about accessibility and supported the mental health and wellbeing of students.
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UNDERGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
This award recognises the work and achievements of an undergraduate class representative who has contributed to academic improvements. Evidence to demonstrate this should clearly highlight real examples of influencing and enacting positive change that has contributed towards an enhanced academic experience for their student peers.
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POSTGRADUATE TAUGHT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
This award recognises the work and achievements of a postgraduate class representative who has contributed to academic improvements. Evidence to demonstrate this should clearly highlight real examples of influencing and enacting positive change that has contributed towards an enhanced academic experience for their student peers.
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POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a Postgraduate Research Rep who has contributed to academic improvements. This should be evidenced through examples of effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers.
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DEPARTMENT OFFICER / SCHOOL MP OF THE YEAR
This award recognises the work and achievements of a Department Officer or School MP who has contributed to academic improvements and/or student voice. Evidence to demonstrate this should clearly highlight real examples of influencing and enacting positive change that has contributed towards an enhanced academic experience for their student peers.
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ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENT AWARD
This award recognises a student, student group, or society who has helped you to enhance your academic experience at Heriot-Watt. They may have hosted revision sessions near exams, organised course-enriching events, or listened to your academic issues and brought them to the attention of the University. They are driven to improve your academic experience at Heriot-Watt and have helped develop an inclusive and exciting learning community.
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STRIVE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
Strive for Sustainability award recognises a student or student group who has made an outstanding effort to promote sustainability on campus and in the community more widely. The recipient of this award may have promoted conversations about sustainability, upskilled other people in sustainability, or signposted others to relevant University and community services.
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SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a society or a group of students who have worked hard to produce excellent content across their social media platforms. Whether it’s the use of Instagram stories, Facebook posts, or TikTok videos, they will have used social media to help you get a better idea of who they are and what they represent. The winner of this award will have proactively made the online world a little more positive and had an impact on their target audience.
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EVENT OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a society or group of students who have worked together to produce an excellent one-off or recurring event for others. The winner could be a society who held an inventive social, some volunteers who pulled out all the stops to make an event happen effectively, or simply organised an event which helped attendees feel less isolated during their studies.
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NEW SOCIETY OF THE YEAR
Each year through Society Council, we see so many new societies start up and become a part of the union community. This award recognises a society which has been part of the Student Union for 1 calendar year or less. It will have engaged lots of members, held successful events and really made a name for themselves with students across campus through excellent teamwork, innovative ideas and sheer determination.
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STEFAN KAY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
This award recognises an individual student who has gone above and beyond in their role by being a Student Volunteer. The student who receives this recognition will have contributed to the student community through their activities as a Society Office Bearer, Class Rep, School Officer, Member of Student Parliament or lead volunteer on a project. They will have created an inclusive and supportive environment in which all students feel welcomed, and represented within their Programme, School, Society or the Student Union. They will have helped students feel less isolated over this academic year.
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SOCIETY OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a society which has been part of the Student Union for over 1 calendar year. It will have impressed its members by exceeding expectations, pushing themselves to do more and engage more students than before through excellent teamwork, innovative ideas and sheer determination. The society will have been open to everyone, creating opportunities and memories for all members.
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SOCIETY LEADER OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a Society Office Bearer who has contributed to enhancing the society community at Heriot-Watt. This recipient will have communicated relevant information from the Student Union to their members and will have made a great contribution to the running and improving of the society that they are a part of. They have shown initiative and strong leadership, been a friendly face to all, and have promoted an inclusive and supportive environment to new and current members.
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HOURS AWARDS
At the volunteer awards we also celebrate the milestones volunteers have reached with the hours awards:
- Bronze Award - 50 hours and 5 employability skills
- Silver Award - 100 hours and 5 employability skills
- Gold Award - 200 hours and 6 employability skills
- Platinum Award - 300 hours and 6 employability skills
- Ruby Award - 400 hours and 7 employability skills
- Diamond Award - 500 hours and 7 employability skills
These are based on the hours logged at the student union website, so if you're a volunteer please make sure your hours are up to date! If you want a refresher on how to log hours check out our guide here! When you're logging your skills, make sure to log them across different categories for them to count.