Recipients of awards with University staff at Loughborough Town Hall

Outstanding student and community work celebrated at awards ceremony

Loughborough University has honoured outstanding student volunteers and community groups at its annual community prize ceremony.

The event, which took place at the Town Hall earlier this month, saw prizes awarded to students of the University whose volunteering efforts have helped the local community.

The University presented the TS Shipman Prize and Hannah Community Prize to the students to reward them for their admirable voluntary work.

Receiving the TS Shipman Prize was Jake Brown for his social action project, Utilise. Working with Fearon Community Centre and Transition Loughborough, Jake has been instrumental in making it a success.

The project uses perfectly good food ‘waste’ thrown away by retailers to provide quality, affordable meals. It operates on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis, whereby those who can afford to make a contribution for their meal will be covering the costs for those unable to pay.

Since inception, Utilise has served over 1200 meals to local people, saved 1300kg of food from landfill and generated £2500 towards Fearon Community Centre activities.

Receiving the Hannah Prize was George Nixon. He was nominated by a neighbour for the considerable goodwill he showed them after returning home from a lengthy hospital stay.

George visited in order to see what he could do to support, giving his mobile number and offering to help at any time – from taking the bins out to being mindful of noise at night.

His nomination read: “George and his housemates are a credit to the University and the epitome of good neighbourliness.”

The University’s Chief Operating Officer, Richard Taylor, presented the awards.

Commenting on the student achievements, he said: “It was an absolute honour to reward our students for their outstanding voluntary efforts.

Each year, they continue to demonstrate how dedicated they are to helping others in the community, and as a University, we are incredibly proud.”

Joining Richard at the ceremony was the Mayor of Charnwood Councillor Pauline Ranson and other local dignitaries.

Also recognised at the event were ten Charnwood charities and community groups that have received support from the Open Fund, one of the University’s community donations funds.

The fund is dedicated to supporting community or voluntary groups in their work.

Organisations and projects that have received funding are:

Organisation

Project

Charnwood Citizens Advice Bureau

Contribution towards costs of establishing a 'friends scheme' for the charity's regular donors.

Charnwood Arts

Funding for two arts, storytelling and animation events.

The Well Church English Language School

Funds for workbooks used in beginners English language sessions.

Loughborough District Scouts

Contribution towards a weekend of activities for 400 young people.

Loughborough Rugby Football Club (Mini & Junior Section)

Funding for post protectors and flags for an additional pitch due to increased demand.

The Marios Tinenti Centre

Funds to subsidise a resident's trip to Skegness.

Poplar Running Club (Junior Section)

Funding for new running club equipment.

Mountfields Lodge School

Contribution of funds for educational playground markings.

Living Without Abuse

Funds to purchase a projector for use in group programmes and training.

Forest Road Green Gardeners

Funding towards a 2-year project to sort shrubbery and replant new trees, shrubs and flowers.

 

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 17/83

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Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines. It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world to study sports-related subjects in the 2017 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2016 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough was ranked 6th in the Guardian University League Table 2018 and 10th in The UK Complete University Guide 2018 and was also named Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

 

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