University of Dundee Student Volunteering Awards
Published On Mon 24 Mar 2014 by Grant Hill
University of Dundee Student Volunteering Awards
Photo opportunity: 6.30pm at Dalhousie Building on Tuesday, 25th March. Awards will be presented by Professor Downes.
The efforts and successes of student volunteers will be celebrated tomorrow at the first ever University of Dundee Student Volunteering Awards.
Professor Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University, will hand out awards at the ceremony at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, on Tuesday, 25th March.
The awards are designed to celebrate student volunteering in general and also to reward specific volunteers for their efforts. The ten categories of nomination include International Student Volunteer, Student Volunteer in a Community Setting and Sports Volunteer. There is also a category for community providers of student volunteering opportunities. Nominations were received from students, staff and external voluntary organisations both in Dundee and further afield.
Winners of the Dundee Graduate Skills Award will also receive their awards at tomorrow’s ceremony. This pioneering initiative, endorsed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), enables students to gain recognition for skills developed from a range of extracurricular activities which enhance employability.
Karen Sleith, Employer Marketing Manager at the University said, “We are delighted to be recognising the achievements of our student volunteers, who have discovered first-hand the many benefits of volunteering.
“The benefits of volunteering are considerable for the individual and community, and helps generate a tremendous sense of wellbeing as well as proving to have a positive effect on student employability. We know many employers recognise it as a must-have on any graduate CV and the University of Dundee Student Volunteering Awards are further evidence of their efforts.”
The Volunteering Awards are part of a wider project at the University of Dundee to encourage more students to engage with volunteering as a means to enhance their employability, develop their skills, gain experience and engage with the wider community. The range of volunteering opportunities available to students was highlighted at a recent Volunteering Fair held in the Bonar Hall in February, which 80 organisations attended, offering volunteering related to conservation, health care, sports, education and heritage.
The University also launched a new Volunteering Portal in September 2013, which is designed to allow our students to easily access a database of voluntary opportunities, based on their skills, interests and availability. Organisations can advertise their volunteering roles for free on the Portal, and many local, national and international organisations are already using it to recruit potential new volunteers from the student population.
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nerthergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
MOBILE: 07854 953277
EMAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk