Volunteer Gems!

The children from Kingston Welcare showing off their jewellery!

Hello there,

I am Funmi Kehinde, a Masters student in IT with Strategic Innovation and Management Studies at Kingston University, London.

 In April 2013, I volunteered at Kingston Welcare Charity and ran a jewellery workshop in which I taught ten children between the ages of 4-6 years how to design necklaces, bracelets and also key-rings.

It was a fun and fulfilling moment for me, because it allowed me to pass on my jewellery-making knowledge to young children. The experience also made me understand children better and helped me learn how to communicate at their level.  My project was a student-led volunteering project which meant I had to organise the project and ensure it was successful. I got very valuable help from Jemma Houghton, one of the KUSU Volunteering Co-ordinators who constantly motivated and supported me throughout the planning process and running the workshop.

Akinda proudly wearing the necklace she made. 

Running this project was not only fun and fulfilling but also helped me develop new skill sets including time management, research, team work, budget planning, project management and communication skills, all of which are valuable in making one more employable. The best part of running the workshop was seeing the smiles on the faces of the children when they successfully designed their bracelets and I also got a bracelet designed for me by one of the children called Holly J

Volunteering is a great experience and I would encourage others to find some time along their university work to do some volunteering. I love to volunteer and help others out in any little way I can because I strongly believe in making a positive impact to my community, generation and world. In future I hope to try out other ranges of volunteering such as mentoring young children, youths in schools and the community and hopefully set up a mentoring organisation which is dedicated towards mentoring and empowering children and youths towards greatness in life.

You can be whatever you want to be, if you only try...and if you fail keep trying to you succeed!

Thank you KUSU Volunteering for this life-time experience!

Funmi Kehinde.

MSc. IT with Innovation and Management Studies

Kingston University, London.

From a Ripple to a Wave – The Second Thames River Clean

Last year a good friend of mine Chris Elliott asked me to volunteer as a diver on a river clean he was organising. On Sunday 17^th September 2012 I found myself taking part in this great initiative created by Chris to help clean some of the debris that damages and ruins the aesthetics of our riverine environment. It raised a great amount of public awareness and in a team of 26 student kayakers, divers and shore volunteers, as well as 11 members of the community and staff, we managed to remove two skips full of rubbish including 22 shopping trolleys, 304 glass bottles, 3 bicycles, 1 gnome, 1 bird bath and more!  

This was just the tip of the iceberg as that day we did a 100 metre scope and realised there were hundreds more trolleys and countless other items on the river bed. That day we decided we could do more, a lot lot more…

Skip forward to 2013 and Chris is encouraging me to lead on the second river clean project. Hesitant at first of committing to something so big in my final year at university and knowing how much work organising the student-led river clean volunteering project can be, I finally said yes; it would be a great chance to show employers my project management skills, represent my degree course in environmental science, give something back to the river that guided me home in those months as a fresher and make it safer for river users.  

And so with Chris Elliott, KUSU Volunteer Coordinator Jemma Houghton and Thames 21 supporting me, as well as equipment donated by local dive shop Aquanaut, we took up the challenge once again. We set out to not just repeat our previous success but to build on it, extensively refine our methods, make it easier to repeat and try and make a bigger impact.

We originally wanted to continue clearing the stretch of river we had previously worked on, but due to some last minute building works nearby we decided to focus on the relatively unknown area just North of the bridge known as Horsefair Quay. The second change was to expand our capacity for collecting large scrap items such as bulky shopping trolleys. The Environment Agency let us borrow a barge which they conveniently moored right next to where we were diving. Thirdly we wanted to change how the volunteers worked together as a team to make it more streamlined. This was achieved by the appointment of strong reliable leaders - Jemma for the shore party, Simon Garrad (an experienced sport diver) for the dive management and myself as Dive Lead. Lastly the divers changed the method by which we raised our debris; although the original lift-bag method worked, it took time and we hadn’t expected so many large items. So in response we agreed that our divers would instead attach grapnels or ropes and then use a lot of muscle (gratefully provided by Kingston University Students’ Union’s Mountaineering Club). This method though limited to the near shore side was dramatically faster and thus more efficient.

On the day we’re as ready as we can possibly be, but still not prepared for the vast amount of trolleys we found, decade’s worth it would seem… It turns out the area just North of Kingston Bridge was loaded with trolleys; every descent was met with metal bars in the limited visibility. We soon realised that what we were clearing was not a passive nuisance, but a potentially fatal hazard because should any person accidently fall from the river edge they would immediately be met with rusted, broken and sheered metal less than a metre from the surface.

Diving in that kind of environment is a testing experience - the only reliable sense is touch as sight is all but lost once you shift that first hunk of metal, because the sediment effectively makes you blind. Though it’s barely 3-5m deep it takes a lot not to panic and to stay focused on the task in hand, whilst the tangled mess of metal around you presents tangle and snag hazards.

After a long day and a generous lunch provided by KUSU we managed to completely clear a 30 metre area back to as near a natural state as was practical, with the remaining 20 metres cleared of the largest debris. The most notable being a Korean helmet, ship battery, 17.5 skateboards and 82 trolleys - a fourfold improvement on last year’s efforts.

Perhaps the most astounding thing the divers alone experienced was what it’s actually like down there as beneath a forest of horrifically mangled metal and leached chemicals, life is striving to survive. It’s not what you would call an attractive habitat, but for those of us that can appreciate it, it’s nothing more than fascinating. There’s a kind of solid coral like growth that builds on trolley metal, as well as crabs, eels, tiny fish, snails and different species of shellfish all along the river. Many people believe the Thames River to be dead and toxic, however our river clean is testament to how wrong that assumption is.

On all fronts the second river clean can be considered a resounding unequalled success, not just for the amount removed, but for the ripple we turned into a wave surging through the Kingston community, helping people realise that our river is a living, breathing aquatic environment and that it needs our care today, tomorrow and in the future.   

Check out the video of the second Thames River Clean.

A Wonderful Week in the world of KUSU Volunteering - Recognising Volunteers' Achievements!

Last week was a really exciting week in the world of KUSU Volunteering! On Tuesday 7^th May 2013 we had our annual Volunteering Awards Ceremony, followed by our End of Year Social, the next day. Although having the two events so close together was a little hectic (!) it was really special getting to spend a couple of days celebrating all of the volunteering that our amazing KUSU Volunteers have done over the past year.

During the social, under the leadership of Rachel Burgess from KUBAG, a group of students and staff volunteered a couple hours of their time each, removing five rubbish bags full of the vigorous invader Himalayan Balsam from the Hogsmill riverbank at Knights Park campus. Student volunteers were then treated to a yummy afternoon picnic and were presented with a certificate thanking them for all the volunteering they’ve done this year.

The KUSU Volunteer Awards Ceremony 2013 was kicked off by KUSU’s Student Development Manager Mo Haque who thanked everyone for coming and explained that the evening’s celebrations were about congratulating certain KUSU Volunteers on their exceptional achievements, dedication and commitment. Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr David Mackintosh was a brilliant guest speaker, talking about how much of a positive difference student volunteers make to their local community, as well as highlighting all of the wonderful skills students will have gained throughout their time volunteering and how this will improve their employability upon graduation.

Abbie and I (KUSU’s Volunteer Coordinators), with the help of Lauren McCormack (Vice President of Activities) then had the delightful role of speaking about the award winners, sharing their volunteering stories and journeys with the audience and presenting the awards! Here’s what we had to say about them:

Best Volunteer Newcomer – Natalie Flower

We’ve had some excellent new volunteers this year so competition was tight, but this year’s winner is Natalie Flower. Natalie has taken part in several one-off events this year, including volunteering at the Royal Parks Half Marathon, Women’s Only Run, London Marathon, as well as becoming an avid knitter making hats for premature babies. Despite having a hectic timetable and often being on placement as a student nurse, Natalie always gives us vital feedback about the volunteering she has done, what she enjoyed, what she’d like to see more of and we’re delighted to award her Best Volunteer Newcomer.

Community Volunteer of the Year – Lucy Williams

Awarded for a combination of excellence in regard to the amount of time given, the level of dedication and the overall impact the volunteer has made to the local community. Lucy Williams was nominated by Refugee Action Kingston: “Lucy started volunteering at our crèche in May 2012 and regularly helps one morning a week to run free sessions for refugee and asylum seeking children under the age of 5. Lucy has been consistently reliable, enthusiastic, great with the children and an overall asset to our crèche team. Lucy has shown a real commitment to supporting children and families who attend our learning centre crèche and outside of her normal volunteering role Lucy has always advocated on behalf of RAK to promote the work we do.  Lucy has collected large amounts of clothing for our donation days and always offers or makes herself available to help where she can.”

One-Off Volunteer of the Year – Philip Commatas

Philip has given up a huge amount of his time taking part in an astonishing 12 one-off volunteering opportunities this academic year since he registered as a KUSU Volunteer in October! He’s volunteered on the Momentum Opera Evening, Winter Night Shelter, Christmas Tree Harvesting event and French Day at Age Concern, to name just a few. He’s also a regular KUBAG volunteer helping out at lots of environmental events and has just been placed at the Cancer Research shop in Kingston. Philip has been a brilliant and reliable one-off volunteer. He gets stuck into every volunteering role, he’s extremely flexible, works well in a team and is a delight to have around.

School Volunteer of the Year – Mark Lynch

Awarded for a combination of excellence in regard to the amount of time given, the level of dedication and the overall impact the volunteer has made to a local school. Mark Lynch was nominated by Tolworth Junior School for his mentoring role: “We interviewed Mark in January for a very important role at our school. We needed a male role model for a year 6 pupil with behavioural problems. The pupil in question (pupil x) aged 10/11 does not have a male figure in his life and is known to display very aggressive disruptive behaviour. Mark works with pupil x on a one to one basis every Thursday afternoon. Mark has a creative style of mentoring incorporating the talent of the pupil. He is not judgemental; he has given pupil x the confidence to confide in him. He understands, he demonstrates empathy and he acts on requests immediately. Mark created and designed a project for pupil x to work on during the Thursday meetings. Mark has proven to be the Perfect Role Model and we have seen evidence of improved behaviour from pupil x.”

Pupil x also commented: “Mark is fun, he listens to me, he is a good artist, and we are writing a comic book. I really like being with him.”

Be A Champion Volunteering Project – Sub Aqua Club

Be A Champion encourages sports students to continue the legacy of the London 20123 Games and run volunteering projects. The Sub Aqua Club have run an amazing three volunteering projects including a ‘try-dive’ - teaching a local youth cadet group how to dive, and 2 underwater river cleans of the Thames in Kingston. The second river clean saw 25 students volunteer, giving 184 hours of their time and removing an astonishing 2338kg of rubbish from the Thames, including 82 shopping trolleys, a soldier’s helmet dated 1954, 110 glass bottles, an engine block, a coconut and 17.5 skateboards - all of which pose a threat to wildlife and river users.

The Sub Aqua Club’s commitment to making a difference in the community by sharing their skill set and working on three volunteering projects this year is phenomenal. Mary Tetley, BSAC chief executive, said: “Underwater litter-picks like the terrific one staged by the Kingston University team gives our divers the chance to contribute to the fight against marine pollution...  all of those involved in this latest Kingston University clean up deserve a pat on the back for their efforts. The volume of shopping trolleys they have recovered is astounding and really does highlight the problems we face with what is discarded in our precious marine habitats.”

Volunteers Inspiring People Via Sport (VIPS) Volunteer of the Year – Fiorella Badin

Student Wellbeing offer a sports-specific volunteering programme called VIPS. VIPS was launched in September 2010 and was awarded the Inspire Mark from the Olympic board along with the 'Experts in Volunteering' recognition from the Greater London Volunteering team. Students can gain a recognised coaching qualification and enjoy sports-specific work experience by taking advantage of the volunteering opportunities available. This includes placements at football clubs affiliated with Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal, Wentworth golf club, and one off events such as London Marathons and events at the London Youth Games to name a few.

Students give back to the community by putting in the required 10 hours volunteering at a time that fits in around their studies and effectively become sports ambassadors for the University. This year Fiorella Badin is our first ever winner of the VIPs award, chosen for her commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for the scheme. 

Student-Led Volunteering Project of the Year – Olufunmilola Kehinde

Projects this year have included a knitting club making hats for premature babies, a Caribbean Culture Day for people with afro-caribbean heritage and a clay-making after school club. The winning project was led by Masters student Funmi who ran a jewellery-making workshop, teaching 10 children aged 4-6 years of age and their parents from Kingston WelCare how to make different types of jewellery including bracelets, necklaces and keyrings.

Funmi was a delight to support, always replying to emails and deadlines on time, her project proposal and costing document were extremely thorough and she delivered the workshop with professionalism and confidence. She was an excellent leader and we were extremely impressed with her time-management, organisational skills and commitment. Kingston WelCare had this to say about Funmi’s jewellery workshop: "My Thanks for your time and interest in WelCare. Your energy and fun approach was so up lifting. Thanks for planning and delivering the workshop. Everyone had a great time."

Kingston University Biodiversity Action Group Volunteer of the Year – Tina Corr

Led by Rachel Burgess, KUBAG is a group of staff and student volunteers dedicated to preserving and enhancing biodiversity on campus. Nominated for outstanding dedication to and leadership of a conservation project, here’s what KUBAG had to say about Tina: ‘Tina Corr is described by KUBAG as the life and soul of the Kingston Hill beehive project. She checks the hive nearly every week throughout the year and ensures the wellbeing of the bees by providing supplementary food and protection when necessary as well as health checks. She not only looks after the hive, but also coordinates the student and staff volunteer check assistants for the weekly summer checks. Her passion for the bees is inspiring and she never misses an opportunity to help promote the project and suggest ways we can improve habitat for bees on campus. She devotes countless hours to this project and events such as frame-building, talks and honey tasting and constantly strives to raise awareness about bees, their lives and current plight which is fabulous.’

Volunteer Blog of the Year – Chris Elliott

This is a new award that KUSU Volunteering has created this academic year. We’ve had an amazing 23 blogs submitted to us by students capturing the different volunteering they’ve been doing. These students are to be congratulated on sharing their volunteering experiences and journeys with the rest of the student body, and acting as ambassadors encouraging their peers to try out volunteering.The criteria for Volunteer Blog of the Year included how informative and inspirational a blog was, as well as the writing style. It was really hard to shortlist as the blogs were of a really high quality, but in the end 6 students made the cut and the winner was Chris Elliott for his blog entitled: “The Thames River Clean – A Guide to Student-Led Volunteering”. This blog is captures Chris’ quirky and humorous take on life whilst encouraging and inspiring students to try out Student-Led Volunteering.

Volunteer-Involving Organisation of the Year – Tolworth Junior School

We are hugely excited this year to be giving out an award to a Volunteer Involving Organisation – which has been nominated by students for being an amazing and supportive organisation to volunteer with.

In the words of the student nominator: ‘It is hard to sum up why I feel that this school deserves the award in just a couple of paragraphs. From the moment I walked into the school for my interview I felt that the school was special, it gives off welcoming and warm vibe. The staff at Tolworth are very involved in aiding me in my role, they always make time to have meetings with me before and after my sessions with the child I work with, they allow me the freedom to do what I think is best but also offer support and guidance to aid me in my role. Being given the opportunity to work with tolworth has been completely worth it. I have never felt happier or more supported in a role. The only bad thing I have to say about this whole experience is that it will soon be the summer and I won’t be going there anymore! TOLWORTH ROCKS!’

Outstanding Contribution to Volunteering – Chris Elliott

This award is the most prestigious of our awards, marking excellence, achievement, dedication and leadership. Chris has been an integral part of the KUSU Volunteering “landscape” if you will. He was nominated and won this award for organising the Sub Aqua’s first underwater river clean, which took approximately a year to organise to gain permission from local/national authorities including British Sub-Aqua Club, Kingston Council, Metropolitan Police and the Environment Agency. Despite many barriers Chris remained enthusiastic, was meticulously organised, and displayed excellent communication skills and commitment. Chris is also receiving this award for organising Sub Aqua’s youth group try dive, supporting another student to lead on the 2^nd river clean, being a regular volunteer for KUBAG, taking part in one-off volunteering events such as volunteering as the mini-bus driver for the Xmas Tree harvesting event, running our First Aid training session for KUSU Volunteers, cleaning out the shark tanks at Chessington World of Aventures and blogging about his volunteering experiences.

Chris is extremely reliable, a great team-member and always in good spirits. KUSU Volunteering have loved supporting him on his volunteering journey. It’s truly been an honour. He is a champion of student volunteering and a role model to his peers. He represents the best student volunteering talent Kingston University has to offer.

Jemma Houghton and Abbie Hurrell
KUSU Volunteer Co-ordinators
Photographs taken by Kingston University Professional Photographer Chris Thomas.

New KUSU Volunteer Coordinator says Hi!

Abbie Hurrell - Volunteer Coordinator (Schools and Community)

Hi my name is Abbie Hurrell and I am the new Volunteer Coordinator (Community and Schools) for KUSU Volunteering.  I work alongside the lovely Jemma Houghton who is your other Volunteer Coordinator (Jemma looks after One-Off and Student-Led Volunteering).

I started this job in mid February, coming from a background of Volunteer Brokerage having worked with the Volunteering Richmond and Volunteering Wandsworth Volunteer Services.  I absolutely love volunteering; it keeps you busy, makes you appreciate life, makes you feel fantastic about helping others and is a brilliant way to meet other people! Volunteering is also hugely important in increasing graduate employability, with most employers now seeing experience as the key attribute in a job candidate. Previously I have volunteered with animal charities, schools, the elderly and with children with disabilities; I even spent 3 months living and volunteering in Italy. 

Although I’ve only been here a month I have already registered lots of volunteers and had the pleasure of meeting lots of enthusiastic and energetic KU students. It has been hugely rewarding to see some of you choose a volunteer opportunity and begin volunteering in such a short space of time – so thank you to everyone I’ve seen so far!

Community Volunteering is also starting to really expand in terms of the opportunities we are offering, with Action Tutoring, Missing People and Kingston Hospital all signing up to the service and eagerly awaiting some new student volunteers to help with their work. I’ve also had loads of really useful feedback from students on the kinds of volunteering you would like to do on an ongoing basis – so continue to visit our Community Page as it gets updated at the beginning of each month with new opportunities. If you have any suggestions of other opportunities we could be offering, then let me know - this is YOUR service!

Schools Volunteering is currently not open as we had such a huge intake at the beginning of the year that we don’t have any space left in our schools for more students. Don’t worry though! We are in the process of contacting lots of schools in the area, so hopefully we will have some new opportunities for you soon. 

This month we are beginning to prepare for our annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony – which is something I am really excited to be a part of. It will be a great opportunity to meet you all, and also to shout out to the Kingston community about all the good volunteering that our students are doing. 

If you have any questions about Community and Schools Volunteering then please contact me, or if you’re already currently volunteering then please send me a message and let me know how it’s going – I’d love to hear from you! 

Finally, thank you for being so welcoming and I am Iooking forward to helping you all get more involved in volunteering in the future!

Two Celebrations of Volunteer Achievement!

In my last blog I talked about the benefits of volunteering, so it seems apt now to write about some of KUSU’s regular volunteers and what has been happening in the last month in the world of KUSU Volunteering. 

Bird and Bat Box Building Event and End-of-Year Celebratory Barbecue!

On Wednesday 30th May, KUSU Volunteering had an end-of-year celebratory event for our volunteers! We organised an awesome barbeque, (even if we do say so ourselves!) which was complete with cupcakes for pudding! KUSU volunteers asked to make bird and bat boxes beforehand, which KUSCO’s Bruce Lloyd and Kingston University’s Biodiversity and Landscape Administrator Lynsey Stafford supervised. Students made 12 bird and bat boxes in total, all of which will make lovely wildlife homes, as well as increase the biodiversity of the local area. The combined volunteer and celebratory event took place on the lovely and serene Kingston Hill nature trail, which you should check out if you have never been there before. On a side note I’m hoping to run some volunteering opportunities in partnership with Lynsey Stafford and the Kingston University Biodiversity Action Group (KUBAG) in semester one of academic year 2012-2013, where we will do some rhododendron clearance on the nature trail – which for the non-green-fingered bunch of you means cutting down this particular type of plant because it has a negative impact on the woodland ecosystem! I shall email this one-off opportunity out nearer the time, so if you would like to spend a few hours getting some fresh air and helping out, make sure you register your interest in volunteering, so that I have you on our mailing list! 

As well as our barbecue and bird/bat box building event, we also had our annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony this month at the very beautiful Dorich House Museum! This event was to celebrate the volunteering commitment of certain Kingston University students, who have gone above and beyond and really shone in the roles they have been volunteering at, this last academic year. The Vice Chancellor of Kingston University, Professor Julius Weinburg opened the event speaking of the difference volunteering made to the community and his pride in the positive dynamic it brings to Kingston University.“Boasting isn’t usually a good thing,” he said “but sometimes I don’t think we boast enough. You can all be very proud of the work you do volunteering and the experiences it’s brought you.” 

This year’s KUSU Volunteering Award winners are: 
Volunteer Project of the Year: Charlotte Buck and Imogen Morris

Charlotte and Imogen put on three day-long drawing, painting and art history workshops at Hollyfield Secondary School. Unfortunately Charlotte and Imogen were unable to attend the awards ceremony, but will be coming into the KUSU Volunteering Office soon to collect their award, certificates and medals and we hope to get a photograph of them then!

Community Volunteer of the Year: Madiha Khan
Madiha volunteers with the British Red Cross, assessing the needs of and helping to devise care plans for patients who have returned home from a traumatic stay at hospital.  Red Cross coordinator Debby Mulling said, “Madiha has shown us that she is a quick learner with a high standard of service.”

School Volunteer of the Year: Amy Wheatley
Amy spent many hours helping in the classroom and on the playground of Tolworth Junior School. Tolworth staff recognised her for her great relationship with the pupils and her ‘above and beyond’ attitude. 

Best Newcomer: Sara Ann Hope
For two full days every week, Sarah supports two special needs students at Southborough High School with their class work. The special education team describes her as “brilliant and wonderful”. 

Best One-Off Volunteer
Natasha May Chinnery was recognised for taking part in nine one-off volunteering projects this year including fundraisers for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and mental health charity MIND.

Be A Champion
The Rugby, American Football and Cheerleading clubs were also commended for their involvement in the ‘Be a Champion’ project which encouraged sports clubs to start their own volunteering project. The Rugby club were awarded the Be A Champion trophy for their volunteering project.

Volunteer England Gold: Emma Lindner, Derryn Lovett and Rachael Penzo
This nationally recognised award was given to Emma, Derryn and Rachael for their achievement, dedication and leadership within volunteering. Unfortunately Derren was unable to attend the awards ceremony, but he will be coming into the KUSU Volunteering Office soon to collect his award, certificate and medal and we hope to get a photograph of him then!

All of the award winners received a glass award, certificate and medal for the award they were nominated for and won. It was a lovely day and the students gave us feedback after the event that they really enjoyed coming up on the stage and being presented with their award by Vice Chancellor Professor Julius Weinberg. They said it felt as prestigious as a graduation event. It was particularly wonderful seeing students’ family and friends getting to take part in the celebrations and see them collect their awards. Afterwards everyone got to enjoy a delicious buffet and drinks in the settings of Dorich House, before having their photo taken on the open-air-top roof! 

Jemma Houghton and Alex Britton
KUSU Volunteer Co-ordintors

KUSU Volunteering Awards 2011 - Gold Awards

Our winners showing off their Gold Awards!

As well as handing out a selection of awards to KUSU Volunteers that have shown exceptional committment in the different areas of volunteering that we offer we also handed out three very special Volunteering England Gold Awards on May 11^th. 

Volunteering England's Gold Award is a national student volunteering award that recognises the Achievement, Dedication and Leadership of Student Volunteers. It's a prestigious mark of excellence in student volunteering. 

This years winners were -

Will with his Gold Award

Will Scott-Barrett

Will was nominated for his dedication to his role as part of the Kingston MET Volunteer Programme which he started in April 2010. Alongside this he has done a number of one-offs so has packed in an impressive amount of volunteering in a relatively short amount of time (he was Best Newcomer at last year's KUSU Volunteering Awards!). 

He has gone beyond his original role as a Front Counter Assistant at Kingston Police Station and taken on additional roles within the MET Volunteer Programme. He's shown endless energy and enthusiasm and helped with volunteer recruiment, induction and buddying and with steering group activities. He frequently puts in nearly 40 hours a month as a MET Volunteer (and he would probably do more if they let him!).

Will has also assisted with C019 (Specialist Firearms Command) unit a couple of times! Nikki Gobey, Volunteer Coordinator at Kingston MET said 'It is a pleasure to have Will on the team and even though he is looking to transfer to C019 permanently, for selfish reasons I am actively encouraging him to remain at Kingston, or at the very least, consider being shared between the two programmes.' 

Christine Daniel 

Christine with her award!

Our second Gold award was given for achievement. Christine has been part of KUSU Volunteering for the past three years and has got involved with an epic amount of things. 

She has been a valuable member of the Swingbridge Boat Project, supporting ex-offenders. She has taken part in several one-offs and she’s run her own project, Project Phoenix, providing information and raising awareness of mental health conditions, suicide and self harm.  

Christine has consistently been an enthusiastic volunteer, putting her heart and a great deal of energy into everything she’s done. She has truly made volunteering a way of life and has been a strong advocate for why it’s a great thing to do. Her volunteering extends beyond KUSU Volunteering and she has recently become a Special Constable with the MET Police, and so impressed her trainers they offered her a job! 

Paul collects his second award!

Paul Matthews

Our final Gold Award winner had a really good night at the Awards coming away with two shiny medals! Paul Matthews so impressed the judging panel that as well as Community Volunteer of the Year, he was awarded a Volunteering England Gold Award for Dedication and Achievement.

This was to acknowledgement not only of the time he gives to the community through his roles in St John Ambulance, but also in acknowledgement for the fact that he demonstrates to the public what student volunteers can do despite all their other commitments. 

In the words of his Duty Officer Joe O’Shea, Paul is someone who demonstrates that students can be people who “put themselves out and go that extra mile to seek out a voluntary role that requires more than just once a week commitment .They put themselves forward to serve their community. From time to time students do get bad press, drinking cider, eating pot noodles and walking home with traffic cones on their heads. However people like Paul (and our other St John Ambulance Volunteers) Gary, Maria & Crystel are ambassadors for students showing that there is more substance to being a student.’

Nicky collects her certificate

Special Commendation went to Marketa Setinova and Nicola Archer who have both put in exceptional effort over several different volunteering roles. Marketa has been a dedicated volunteer at Hersham Hounds and Nicola has got involved in numerous one-off projects and ran her own project putting on a Jazz Tea Party at our local Age Concern Social Centre. 

That rounds up our volunteering awards for this year! I think you'll agree we have a pretty exceptional bunch of students doing great things out and about around Kingston there. Looking forward to plenty of the same next year!