Volunteering Awards Celebration 2007

The Volunteering Awards Celebration hosted by Community Action provides an annual opportunity to recognise and celebrate the valueable contribution to the community made by Royal Holloway volunteers. This year has been no exception with over 325 registered volunteers working with over 40 Community Partners on numerous projects in the area. The evening gathered college representatives, community partners and our volunteers.

This year the awards ceremony took place on the eve of Monday 4th June 2007 followed by celebration drinks at the Windsor Building for Community Action volunteers. Vice-Principal Robert Kemp hosted the evening on behalf of Community Action, during which special guest Steve Chalke MBE spoke with vigour and passion about being wild geese!

The celebration saw two national Student Volunteering England Gold awards presented to students who had demonstrated leadership, dedication & achievement - Meg Dobson and Francesca Robinson, preceeded by the RHUL Community Action Awards (listing below) and Volunteer Accreditation certificates (30hrs+).

Volunteering Club of the Year 2006-07: Mens Rugby Club

Volunteering Society of the Year 2006-07: Drama Society (Outreach)

Community Partners of the Year 2006-07: Merlewood Residential & Spelthorne Challengers

New Student Initiative 2006-07: Campus Litter & Recycling

International Volunteer 2006-07: Suraj Bali

Volunteer Development 2006-07: David Forde

Community Action Student team 2006-07: Suraj Bali, Charleigh Buckley, David Forde, Ben Green, Lucy Hatch, Saori Inoue, Katy Moynihan, Luke Saunders, Stefan Strotz, Beckie Wingrove, Rabi Zahid

Awards Guest Speaker: Steve Chalke MBE

In 1985 Steve Chalke set up the Oasis Trust in order to open a hostel for homeless young people. Oasis now has over 400 staff, students and volunteers, pioneering educational, healthcare and housing initiatives in the UK and across the globe.

Steve has presented his own television series for ITV and BBC as well as a regular show on Radio 4. He is also the author of over 30 books.

Steve was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2004 for his services to social inclusion.

'Broadcaster and social entrepreneur Steve Chalke MBE has bounced back into the record books, after he raised well over £1.8million in sponsorship (total tbc) on today's Flora London Marathon. He finished the race in 3hrs 58mins and 40s, making him the fastest-earning sportsperson in history, at a rate of almost half a million pounds an hour, more than the world's ten best-paid footballers put together.'

The Student 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.