Volunteer Awards 2024
It's time for the 2024 Volunteer Awards! Nominations are now open! Vote below:
What are the volunteer awards?
The Volunteer Awards are an annual celebration of the volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make your university experience better. We celebrate our Society Leaders, Class Reps, Department Officers and a whole host of others who give up their time to make things run smoothly and make the student experience better for others.
Nominations period closes Friday 8th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nominations for the Annual Student Oscars are open too! You can nominate here