Event Information
Well, what a night! Cardiff Volunteering’s inaugural volunteering awards ball kicked off the Union’s ball week on the 26th April. Being a new charity, we’ve never hosted our own awards, so it was extra exciting! Y Plas was transformed for the evening to become a glamourous red carpet venue complete with a fairy light chandelier, clapperboards, huge HOLLYWOOD letters and much more. Our guests were kept entertained throughout the evening with a blackjack casino table, music from the Acapella Society’s very own Interchorus, and the amazing UltraMirror which proved extremely popular! Following a delicious three course meal, our Awards Ceremony began – here are all the winners!
Pole Sport took home "Most Engaged Sports Team” for showing great initiative and making a meaningful connection with those in the community when donating presents and helping out at the Grangetown Winter Fair. They are a lovely group of students that show Cardiff University in a generous, positive light – well done everyone!
The award for “Most Engaged Society” went to Enactus, who have demonstrated great ambition and creativity in their project with the local homeless charity, Huggard. They have created a social enterprise scheme which will increase revenue and provide service users with training, work experience and opportunities to empower themselves.
“Community Impact” was won by Fab 5 Party Planners for their commitment to planning and delivering fun, engaging parties for the residents. These parties have allowed the residents to become more confident over the year.
Kerry Crockford won ‘Fundraiser of the Year’ for her passion for fundraising during and following the sleepout event. The insight into the challenges of life on the street spurred her on to raise as much money as she could and Kerry raised over £300.
“Best New Project or Event” was taken home by the Student Safety Walk Scheme. This scheme is led by a group of students who are determined to find ways to help students get home safely. They have worked closely with Cardiff Volunteering, the Students Union and South Wales Police to ensure this idea becomes a reality.
Rebecca Harris was awarded “Volunteer of the Year” for demonstrating great compassion and dedication in her work with elderly residents for tea and company. Rebecca showed great perseverance when faced with the very real emotional challenges of working with people towards the end of their lives.
Our “Lead Volunteer of the Year” was awarded to Amy Alexander. Amy received numerous nominations in this category. Throughout the year she has exemplified the qualities a lead volunteer should have and she is always willing to give extra and support Cardiff Volunteering in all it does.
Our final award of the night was the “Cardiff Volunteering Outstanding Contribution” This award is for a student who has gone above and beyond. Wenxing Ouyang has shown tireless enthusiasm throughout the academic year, regardless of the pressures of her schedule. Wenxing shows that English language should not be a barrier to stop anyone from attending extracurricular activities.
We then handed over to SDS, who presented the “Lifetime Achievement” Award to Gareth Davies and Ivona Videnova for their long term commitment as peer trainers.
We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone and thank you all for your hard work! You’ve made the first year of Cardiff Volunteering amazing!