Community Action VE Gold Awards
The Volunteering England Gold Awards are the only nationally recognised awards where students’ achievements are honoured by their peers. As such, they are a prestigious mark of excellence in student volunteering. From unsung heroes to those who have defied the odds or shown remarkable leadership, each year, the Gold Awards reward a select band of special student volunteers. They are awarded in one or all of the three areas of Leadership, Dedication and Achievement.
- Leadership – Students who excel in leadership may have run their own volunteering project or taken a lead on a committee or other volunteering events. These students will have been responsible for guiding other students as well as being a team player and volunteering themselves.
- Dedication – This is an opportunity to reward the most committed and hard working of volunteers who may not be at the forefront of running projects but can be relied on continually. Being an inspiration to other volunteers, these students show loyalty and passion towards their volunteering.
- Achievement – Awards for achievement in volunteering will vary enormously between students. It may reflect an achievement in relation to a project, for example creating a new project or recruiting more volunteers. Alternatively the achievement may be on a personal level for a volunteer perhaps overcoming a significant personal barrier or developing a new skill.
Royal Holloway, University of London VE Gold Award winners 2010
Gold Award winner : Luka Blackman-Gibbs
Nominator: Zed Linney – Egham Youth Worker, Surrey County Council
Dedication, Leadership and Achievement
Gold Award winner : Beth Rowley
Nominator: ESOL tutors - Youth Refugee & Asylum Seekers Project
Dedication, Leadership and Achievement
Gold Award winner : Maciej Szymanski
Nominator:
Dedication, Leadership and Achievement
Royal Holloway, University of London VE Gold Award winners 2009
Gold Award winner : Emily Cookson
Nominator: Zed Linney – Egham Youth Worker, Surrey County Council
Dedication, Leadership and Achievement
Emily has organised great drama sessions on a Monday night at Egham Youth Centre. She has showed dedication and supported young people to focus on drama workshops that have been well thought out and planned. The young people have enjoyed taking part and she has kept them motivated and inspired they enjoyed the sessions and her enthusiasm is great!
Gold Award winner : Michaela Niemela
Nominator: Julie Manning - Befriending Scheme Co-ordinator, Spelthorne Community Network
Dedication
Michaela is a very dedicated young lady to our befriending scheme and newly formed "Buddy Group". She worked extremely hard befriending a Turkish young lady with no English language, managing to meet her and go out at the right times and places that had been arranged when the young Turkish lady had often misunderstood due to the language barrier, this did not deter Michaela.
Also Michaela is the mentor for the newly formed Buddy Group, co-ordinating where they meet, suggesting fun and interesting places for them to go, often twice a week! Michaela has developed a good relationship with the clients in the Buddy Group and they adore her and look forward to the events she arranges.
Michaela is a very caring person and a real asset to us!Gold Award winner : Holly Powell-Jones
Nominator: Susan Cowan - Volunteer/Community Liaison Manager, North Surrey Victim Support
Dedication
Holly has been with Victim Support since May 2008 and since completing her training has supported twenty victims of crime. The feedback that I have received from the victims is excellent.
Holly is caring, empathetic and most importantly she listens.
Holly is a valuable member of the North Surrey Victim Support Team. I would really like to see Holly recognised for the hard work she puts in on behalf of Victim Support.
