Celebration of Volunteering

Ines Zhu – Buddy Up

Ines has been able to really develop and expand the volunteering offering for students looking to make new friends. This has been particularly important since the pandemic as there has been a clear need for the project, with 91 student sign-ups so far this year alone. Ines has put a lot of time and effort into the project and has helped grow it to where it is today. 

Enactus: Kushan Naresh Kantharia, Ines Zhu, Rayane Aoudia, Waqas Swalheen, Kimberley Tang, Yuting Qui, Wajeeha Shafqat, Dorji Dema – Good Neighbours

The Enactus team has noticed a problem that arises at the end of term among international students. A lot of those who live in self-catered halls usually have excess fresh produce and are not able to take it home, nor can they find someone to help them consume it. This creates a large amount of unnecessary food waste.

The team came up with a solution that consists of collecting the excess food and redirecting it to soup kitchens to help the wider population of Reading.

Zahra Naqvi, Lewis Paget, Ankita Dixit, Aniska Nair, Owen Hyatt, Salwa Sharif Yasmeen – Marrow 

"Anishka is a very valued member of the Marrow Society at Reading. To be honest she is a bit of a force of nature when it comes to Marrow. She uses her personal experiences to promote the work that Marrow does and does so with such unwavering passion and devotion.

Ankita has been a wonderful addition to the Marrow committee this year. Few can match her enthusiasm and passion for volunteering and the cause that Marrow represents.

Zhara's role as social media coordinator allows her to express her passion for Marrow as well as the message we try to spread through the brilliant posts that she creates.

Salwa's passion for Marrow is clear to see and as such, she allows her bubbly personality to shine through, both in the planning and running of successful events all over campus.

Owen is an essential part of the Marrow Society at Reading: he is my right-hand man, always so dependable. No task is too big nor too small. He throws himself into everything with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion as donor recruitment officer.

Lewis’s enthusiasm doesn't just shine but reaches out to everyone he talks to and he is so incredibly supportive. Whenever it has been overwhelming to work on a task, or participate in an event, we know Lewis has our back."

Aran Pascual – Once a Month Reading

"With Aran's work last summer, this project was well set up to start properly this academic year. She made sure we had a big committee, which has been working together really well, and she showed us that it is possible to start a project like Once A Month from nothing and quickly have a big impact on the local community."

Sophie Downton, Tin Wai Tiffany Lun, Aryn Brown, Thea Metila – University of Monsters 

The committee have worked hard on the University of Monsters this year so far and during the last academic year, making the visit days fun and engaging for the class. This has allowed the project to develop and has supported RUSU in developing relationships with local schools for the project.

Their contribution has had a really positive impact on the pupils' understanding of university as a whole, and has encouraged the pupils and their families to come onto campus to celebrate their graduation at the end of the project. 

Juliane ten Hoevel, Emily Griffen, Aryn Brown, Laura Guyll, Lara Schlosser, Helena Thornton, Giulia Kovacs, Maisy Brothers, Aran Pascual – Once a Month Reading

Once a Month is a student-led project aimed at relieving period poverty in Reading. The committee regularly runs events, fundraisers and packing sessions at the University to put packs together to donate to local charities in Reading.

The committee have worked really hard this year to help grow the project and deserve recognition for their hard work. 

Rizzy Burrow – Raising and Giving

Rizzy has been on the RAG committee this year as Challenges and Engagement Coordinator and has worked hard to engage with students to take on the RAG challenges this academic year. Rizzy has done a great job at this and has really helped to raise awareness of the RAG challenges on campus this year. Rizzy was involved in one of the RAG challenges last year and fundraised for the chosen charity, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity and raising over £2,400.

She is also taking part in one of the challenges again this year, this time in the Uganda Volunteer Project with Play Action International. Rizzy has shown lots of commitment to fundraising and deserves recognition for her hard work and commitment!

Tom Lees – Reading University Hockey Club

"This year Reading University Hockey Club lost a beloved alumni member, Peter Jenkins, in a tragic plane crash whilst working on a conservation reserve in Kenya. Pete passed away doing what he loved. Tom and the club have so far raised well over £1,000 by hosting men's and women's alumni hockey matches for two charities picked by the family, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Support Our Paras. They are truly worthy causes who work to support everything Pete stood for.

The day was celebrated by all and remembered Pete in the best way we know how. With two games against alumni sides. We were pleased to have some of Pete’s family in attendance as well." 

Marie and Alan Nicholsby – Alkionides UK

Marie founded Alkionides UK – a life-changing charity that supports Cypriot citizens undergoing critical medical treatment in the UK – in 1998. The charity not only supports patients and their families with their accommodation and living costs, but also provides other essential services such as transport, translators and moral support, all of which is delivered by volunteers. 

When Marie started the charity she promised that as much money as possible would go towards the patients' needs and not into the charity's administration or staff costs. Marie has kept this principle alive, with the charity relying entirely on volunteers.

With the help of sponsors, Marie hopes this year the charity can buy a house to provide free accommodation to patients while they are undergoing treatment.

The charity would not have been successful without Alan’s dedication, as he used his IT expertise to support the charity and its work. 

Alban Salord – Student Mentor

For the past five years, Alban has been supporting second-year law students. Mentoring two students each year, Alban provides them with perspectives on careers both within the legal field and outside. He works on improving their understanding of the professional world and raising their confidence, and provides on-the-spot support when they face challenges or have an urgent need for support, for example when preparing for interviews.

Alban is proud that most of his mentees have been women as it fits with his personal commitment to support and promote female leaders. Most of his mentees have also been the first members of their families to attend university. 

Andre Dornelles – STaR Mentor, Academic Mentor, member of the Researched Development and Postgraduate Research Studies Committee

Andre has volunteered as a STaR Mentor, as an Academic Mentor for the Disability Advisory Service, as a Postgraduate Rep, and as an event organiser. As part of this volunteering, Andre has supported international students in their transition to UK life and studies, provided tailored supported for undergraduate academic assignments, and actively engaged with many committees to promote the interests of the postgraduate community. 

He has also been a member of the Committee on Researched Development and Postgraduate Research Studies, and has helped organise multiple PhD symposiums, taking on tasks such as planning timetables and registration, as well as chairing and presenting at the symposiums.

Aran Pascual Quiros – Once a Month Reading

As a student, Aran started the Reading branch of Once a Month, a student-led project aimed at relieving period poverty in Reading. This involved managing a committee of 10 students and around 30 student reps. Since graduating, Aran has been helping the current student committee work on long-term strategy and expanding opportunities outside the University. 

Brian Heathcote – Volunteer Ranger, Peak District National Park

Brian has been a Volunteer Ranger for the Peak District National Park since 2007. Last year he completed over 200 voluntary ranger hours, undertaking tasks such as advising visitors, checking infrastructure, picking up litter and a host of other duties.

Brian has also completed additional specialist training in surveying Scheduled Ancient Monuments, and has since monitored almost 100 monuments throughout the National Park, leading to him complete the John Muir Award which encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment. 

Julia, Peak District National Park Volunteer Coordinator, who nominated Brian, said: "Brian is a valued and enthusiastic member of the team. Volunteers play an important part in our National Parks and without the committed contributions of people like Brian, they would be far less welcoming places." 

Briti Deb – International Student Ambassador

Briti first got involved in volunteering as a student at Reading, where he volunteered as a Student Ambassador and Mentor, visiting local schools to support students. After graduation, Briti wanted to keep in touch with the University, and so volunteered to be an International Student Ambassador.

As part of this volunteering work, Briti met with prospective students at education fairs in India, and talked to them about his story to try and encourage them to choose to study at Reading. 

Clive and Sheila Payne – Campus litter picks

Since the start of the pandemic, Clive and Sheila have been coming to the Whiteknights campus to litter pick five or six days a week, rain or shine.  At the outset, their trips onto campus formed their daily permitted outdoor activity during lockdown, but they have continued to regularly visit to pick up litter for the past three years. They come armed with litter picking equipment, bags and buckets, plus waterproofs in case the weather turns for the worse.

Clive and Sheila have lived locally for many years, and love the campus, and are very dedicated in their support for it. In Clive's words: "The University is part of our local community and we believe it is important that we all do our bit to keep our community clean and safe."

Dennis Wood and Ian Burn – Friends of the University

Dennis and Ian are members of the Friends of the University of Reading, a charity that aims to foster contact between the University and those interested in its educational goals. Dennis was inspired to join the Friends after his father-in-law worked at the University for 40 years.

They were part of a team running heritage events for the past 10 years, allowing the public to see parts of the University that are not generally accessible. With the COVID-19 lockdown cancelling the six tours they had booked for 2020, they turned to the digital medium.

Dennis, Ian and others created a video called "A Historical Tour around the University's London Road Campus" to accompany heritage leaflets they had produced. The video was successfully received, with people as far as Australia and Japan watching it.

Doon Lovett and Caroline Warner – Whiteknights Litter Ladies

Doon and Caroline, otherwise known as the Whiteknights Litter Ladies, volunteer their time to keep Whiteknights campus and the surrounding areas clear from litter. For years, every week the Whiteknights Litter Ladies are out and about picking up litter to make our campus and neighbourhood a cleaner place to live in. They do this out of care for their local community, contributing to the University maintaining its Green Flag status, and never ask for anything in return.

Gabriele Reifenberg – School volunteer and Syrian refugee host

When COVID-19 restrictions eased, Gabriele, now in her 80s, returned to volunteer at a local primary school where she helped Year 2 pupils, most impacted by the pandemic, with their reading.

Gabriele has also supported a Syrian refugee family since their arrival five years ago, helping the parents with their English and also any issues that arise, such as taking the mother to an out-of-town hospital for surgery.

Heather Shute – Medical Detection Dogs

In July 2020 Heather was volunteering with Medical Detection Dogs (MDD), a charity that trains dogs to detect diseases or assist people with life-threatening health conditions, and who were currently training dogs to detect COVID-19. Heather organises the Oxfordshire and Cotswold Regional Group, raising awareness and fundraising for MDD's innovative work, which is all funded by donations.

Over the years, Heather has done hundreds of presentations with her dog Edward, and has also fundraised by abseiling off a cliff in the Peak District, completing a 5k mud run, running the Chadlington Brook Run and zipwired in Wales.

Hilary Withey – Reading Amnesty, ABC Nepal

With Reading Amnesty, alumnus Hilary organised a presentation on the forced disappearance of individuals in South Asia, and asked group members to join her in campaigning against these actions. She also, in Feb 2020, was working with a group of Nepalese women in Reading to organise an event about Nepalese women's human rights – both in the UK and Nepal.

Hilary has been volunteering in Nepal with ABC Nepal, which works with women and girls who have been victims of trafficking, rape and domestic violence. Hilary spent two or three afternoons a week in a rehabilitation home for girls aged 12 to 20, talking with them, organising games and other activities. A highlight of her time with ABC Nepal was accompanying girls, staff and committee members to a rally in Kathmandu Durbar Square in support of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence”.

The other organisation Hilary has worked with is St Xavier's College – run by the Nepal Jesuit Society, it is open to people of all faiths and was the first in Nepal to introduce a Bachelor of Social Work course in 1996. Hilary created some scenarios (relating to anxiety, sexual abuse and elevated mood) and ran a workshop for one year group (35 students) about mental health social work, using role plays to explore how to respond effectively. She then repeated the workshop with other year groups and ran a Q&A session for students who were interested in mental health social work.

Jack Abrey – Berkshire Scouts and Living Paintings, School Governor, Radio Tring

Jack began his journey as an outstanding volunteer when he was a student and forged a partnership between Berkshire Scouts and Living Paintings, which he had been supporting as a volunteer since 2017. Now, as an alumnus, Jack has provided the narration for over 10 books which will enable blind and partially sighted children and young adults to access topics such as evolution, art through history, construction vehicles, and even a workout book by Joe Wicks. 

When Jack was a University Ambassador, he supported numerous events at local schools, which ignited his passion for school governance, and from 2021 to 2023 he served as a Local Authority Governor at a primary school. He oversaw the school's return to face-to-face learning, supported the onboarding of a new head, supported the school to retain its Ofsted rating, and organised a visit from a local MP to highlight the support the school needed. 

Jack is also a volunteer presenter on Radio Tring, and has hosted over 100 hours of broadcast on the station. 

James Fletcher – KFC Foundation, Golden Jubilee, Advancing Oxford, Association of Chairs

James is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the KFC Foundation, which is the giving arm of KFC UK and Ireland. The Foundation gives around £1.5million a year to causes focused on vulnerable children and young people in the UK – those who are care-experienced, or at risk of experiencing the criminal justice system, among others. Before becoming Chair, James chaired the Grantmaking Committee, and is currently leading a change programme that will ultimately result in the Foundation becoming a direct-delivery charity. 

James is also a trustee of the John Lewis Partnership's charity, the Golden Jubilee Trust. This provides staff secondments in charities across the UK. Last year, 25 Partners were supported by the Trust, each of whom made a huge difference to their charities. 

James also chaired Advancing Oxford, the network for fundraising professionals across Oxford. He led the adaptation of in-person events to online during the pandemic, and led on the delivery of a week-long festival of learning and networking for around 300 people. He has also been a member of the Association of Chairs, and helped his secondary school fundraise for a school trip to Kenya, designed to foster connections between communities worldwide.

Jenny Halstead – Whiteknights Studio Trail

Jenny volunteers for the Whiteknights Studio Trail, which has been running for over 20 years, providing artists with a chance to exhibit their artwork from their home studios through a carefully curated trail. Each year, Jenny volunteers her time to oversee the curation of a trail of over 20 studios that are based in the surrounding neighbourhood of the University, including the School of Art and Museum of English Rural Life.

This weekend event brings together the local community and celebrates local artists, the success of which is down to Jenny's passion and commitment to delivering a high-quality event. 

Mabel Senaa Bonsuuri – School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, co-founder of a non-profit organisation in Ghana

Mabel volunteers with her School, the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, to give talks during seminars where she shares her experience both in school and after school with current students. 

She also gives her time to a non-profit organisation she cofounded in her home country of Ghana. Mabel raises funds to provide menstrual hygiene products for schoolgirls in rural communities who would otherwise miss school because they cannot afford menstrual products during their periods. This initiative currently supports over 500 schoolgirls. 

Peter Norman – Cruse Bereavement Care

Peter has been volunteering with Cruse Bereavement Care (the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) since 1975, when he joined the steering committee of his local branch of Cruse.

Peter's role in the charity is to supervise bereavement volunteers and counsellors, train volunteers, run groups and support clients after more complicated bereavements.

Rachel Moore – Law Client Interviewing

Since 2011, Rachel has designed and delivered annual training in client interviewing to 40 undergraduate Law students, given her time to judge the School of Law's Client Interviewing Competition, sponsored the School's entry into the UK Student Client Interviewing Competition and provided prizes of insight days at Kennedys (the law firm at which she is a Partner) to the winning students. 

Client interviewing training is a key element of the School's curricular programme. It provides students with valuable, practical legal skills, as well as enhancing their wider employability through the development of communication, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills. 

In addition to her commitment to training students, Rachel has also served, in a voluntary capacity, as the alumni representative on the School of Law's Pro Bono and Co-Curricular Committee for a number of years. In this role, she offers invaluable advice and input from a practitioner perspective on the School's co-curricular programme, and how it can support students in their pursuit of legal careers and develop necessary employable skills. 

Sarah Thorley – Pathways to Property

Since first attending the Pathways to Property summer school in 2014, Sarah has been committed to working with Henley Business School on its widening participation initiatives to ensure other students see the benefit of coming to university and can be supported in the way that she was. 

As a student, Sarah was an ambassador for Pathways to Property (one of the University's widening participation programmes) engaging with young people through various activities.

Since graduating Sarah has continued to support Henley Business School as a volunteer by:

• becoming a member of the RG10 committee, focused on engaging alumni from the last ten years by developing and delivering a programme of events and activities that keep them connected to Henley Business School and the University of Reading
• taking a seat on the Pathways to Property Project Board, ensuring the voice of a past participant and early career individual is present in all discussions round the focus, delivery and development of the programme
• establishing the Propel network to include all students who have come through the widening participation initiative Pathways to Property, and are now studying real estate or working in the industry. 

Yan Lim – Malaysian CARE

Yan is a volunteer at Malaysian CARE, a non-profit social work organisation in Malaysia. During her volunteering sessions, Yan provides guidance to children under 12 to help them complete their homework. Yan is also involved in playgroup sessions for the children, creating activities which help the children learn and strengthen skills such as teamwork.

Yan is very proud of the improvement she has seen in the children she supports, enabling them to improve their English and Maths skills. 

Yan says: "Being a University of Reading alumna, I feel beyond grateful and privileged to have received a world-class education, and I wish to utilise what I have gained during my time at the University of Reading to make a change in my country and to impact lives as much as I can, as I truly believe education changes lives."

Agnes Gibson – Covid Case Management Team

Agnes helped to run the University's COVID-19 Case Management Team, jointly running it with Gurinder Singh. The COVID-19 Case Management Team (CMT) was set up in October 2020 in response to the pandemic, and consisted of a group of volunteers from across the university who gave up their time within normal working hours to support the delivery of the service.

Agnes also refused to be seconded from her "day job" as Head of Campaign and Supporter Engagement and did the demanding job of running CMT alongside this.

The CMT functioned as a hub, receiving notifications of positive cases from students on campus and within the community. CMT offered emotional support and advice to students and their close contacts, during a very anxious and uncertain time. 

The CMT leads were also involved in the operational and strategic direction of the service, and regularly met with internal and external stakeholders to discuss changes to and implementation of government guidance, to analyse trends and patterns, and to discuss the university’s management of suspected outbreaks, with the overarching aim to keep our staff and students safe. 

Agnes’s work played a huge role in helping to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 at the University. The efforts of the University CMT team were commended by Public Health England. 

Chrissy Nazif –Skateboard camp for refugees

Chrissy has been volunteering at a skateboard camp for refugees in High Wycombe each week. This has been a great opportunity for the refugees to get involved in the community and learn a new skill. Chrissy has been supporting with the sessions and has done a great job in doing so.  

Claire Newbold – Wreath-making classes, Smartworks

For years Claire has given up many hours of her time in the build-up to Christmas to run wreath-making and Christmas table arrangement classes. All of these classes take place in her own home and her dining room is turned into a flower workshop for the month.

Not only does Claire give her time for free to teach people a new art, but she also donates all of the proceeds to Smartworks Reading. Smartworks can't exist without crucial funding and in Claire's last group of courses in December 2022 she single-handedly raised an astonishing £700 to help support their important work.

Debra Page – Student Eats Garden

Debra is the President of the Student Eats Garden and has been involved in the running of the group this year and during the last academic year. Debra has put a lot of hard work into the garden over the years as a volunteer and has helped to transform the space.

Eilish Sorohan – Thames Valley Positive Support, Self Injury Support

After joining the University and moving to Reading in November 2019, Eilish started volunteering for a local HIV support charity, Thames Valley Positive Support, joining as a Trustee, and is still delivering this role.

In addition, since October 2021, Eilish has also taken on the voluntary role of the Chair of the Board of Directors for Self Injury Support, a national charity which provides support and advice for women and girls who injure themselves.

Such is Eilish's dedication to volunteering both personally and professionally, she moved to a compressed hours working pattern in March 2022 to allow her to devote a full day a week to her volunteering responsibilities. 

Eleanor Draycott and Rachel Thorns – Women’s Staff Network

In their positions as Co-Chairs of the Women's Staff Network, Eleanor and Rachel have noticeably gone above and beyond to really give relevance to the network and support women at the University. 

Most recently, the introduction of the Women's Health Cafe has provided an informal safe space for women to discuss the health issues that matter to them most and connect with other women who have faced similar experiences. 

Rachel and Eleanor have created a great buzz on the Network's Teams channel and have a clear ambitions for how they would like the network to grow and become more impactful, as witnessed through their presentation to the D&I Advisory Board.

Both of them complete this work in a voluntary capacity, outside of their roles and deserve to win this award so their time and efforts can be recognised.

Gurinder Purewal – COVID-19 community support

Gurinder made a huge impact during COVID-19 in helping to spread the correct messaging in an accessible format, or by making the vaccine itself more accessible, and supporting the NHS.

Gurinder campaigned to the Department of Health to include multi-lingual posters in their COVID-19 messaging, and was the first during the pandemic to translate messaging for them in a video format to ensure those being most affected by COVID-19 could understand. The first video reached 4.5 million users, and further following videos reached half a million users.

Gurinder arranged with his local Sikh community to ensure all NHS staff working at the vaccination centre got a warm lunch, raising money and recruiting volunteers to achieve this.

Gurinder teamed up with a local charity to ensure the COVID-19 vaccination could reach the homeless on the streets, to ensure no one was left behind. This was extremely difficult, being one of the first in the country with the idea, and it took lots of perseverance with the numerous organisations involved.

To help people overcome hesitation to receive the vaccine, Gurinder arranged for the vaccine to be delivered inside faith buildings, and for clinicians from those faith groups to deliver the message to their communities.

James Magee – Launchpad

James has been spending time out of work to volunteer with a charity organisation called Launchpad.

Launchpad works to help homeless people in Reading get off the streets and turn things around. James specialises in helping people write CVs, apply for jobs and advise on interview techniques.

James has set up an upcoming workshop event where Launchpad will be visiting the University, and we will be offering talks and demonstrations on some of the careers that may be on offer here. Launchpad is a fantastic organisation, and the work James does is amazing to help change people’s lives.

Jenna Gardner – COVID-19 Case Management Team

The COVID-19 Case Management Team (CMT) was set up in October 2020 in response to the pandemic, and consisted of a group of volunteers from across the University who gave up their time within normal working hours to support the delivery of the service. 

The CMT functioned as a hub, receiving notifications of positive cases from students on campus and within the community. CMT offered emotional support and advice to students and their close contacts, during a very anxious and uncertain time. 

The CMT leads were also involved in the operational and strategic direction of the service, and regularly met with internal and external stakeholders to discuss changes to and implementation of government guidance, to analyse trends and patterns, and to discuss the university’s management of suspected outbreaks, with the overarching aim to keep our staff and students safe. 

Due to the increased effectiveness of the NHS Test and Trace service and reduced resource within CMT, the service ended in March 2022. The service would not have been possible without the goodwill of staff volunteers who continued to devote their time to helping CMT long-term.

Jude Brindley – University of Reading Graduation Ceremonies

Jude commits a week of their time to volunteer and support the Summer graduation ceremonies. Jude truly goes above and beyond to offer a whole week, and sometimes more, to ensure students get the graduation experience they deserve. 

The quality of care and personable nature that Jude delivered was noticeable.

Laura Connolly and Leslie Lust – Medical Support Workers English language support

Laura and Leslie have been volunteering to provide English confidence support for Medical Support Workers (MSWs) with refugee status, organised through the International Study and Language Institute (ISLI) at the University of Reading, since October 2022.

They offer friendly help with English, especially listening and speaking, to increase MSWs’ confidence when working in the UK.

MSWs are trained healthcare professionals, such as doctors or radiologists, who need to complete English language tests before they can practise in the UK. They give them confidence in their language and communication skills, and answer questions they may have on grammar and colloquialisms for example, to help them on their journey.

The MSWs often express their appreciation about not only improving their language but also feeling more welcome in Reading, as a direct result of Laura and Leslie's kind and empathetic natures.

Nathan Helsby – Community Choir

"Nathan has run a community choir for free for the area around Talfourd Avenue where he and I both live. He is gentle and patient and has a lovely sense of humour, but is good at keeping us focused during warm-ups, practising and performing.

The abilities of the choir members vary quite a lot but Nathan is skilled at supporting those with less experience and confidence in reading music and singing, often recording and providing separate sound clips in four parts to help us with difficult passages or songs. 

Behind the scenes, he has spent a lot of time arranging pieces to suit our abilities rather than always providing standard sheet music. As a result, we have been able to perform a mixture of classical and popular pieces at Lakeside Care Home, at the annual Talfourd Avenue music festival, Talfest, and at Tutu's Ethiopian Table cafe in Palmer Park."

Nathan Helsby and Tom Woolmer – Whiteknights Football Club

Tom and Nathan have worked together as coaches of Whiteknights Football Club for over nine years, volunteering on average eight hours per week, delivering training and coaching matches.

The pair run their year group in an inclusive manner, welcoming players regardless of ability. All team members always play in a match with coaches working to the principle of equal play time. The two have an excellent track record of developing players, for example even this year one of their strikers has joined with no prior football experience and plays every game. 

They have kept membership fees minimal, offering discounts and payment options. They have discretely provided kit for those local families who are struggling with cost-of-living issues. 

Players love their club and their coaches, attrition rates have been very low, and the squad has grown significantly over the years, and is now at 35 for two 11-aside teams! Friendships are strong, and football is a focus and anchor for boys from very diverse backgrounds and home lives. 

As Sai H, player since age seven says, "Nathan and Tom have been great influences on me, they've taught me the art of football. Also, educated me to win in humility; lose in acceptance and learn from it. Taught me life lessons through the platform of football. For that, I am hugely grateful."

Nathan Bingham – Sport in Mind 

Last year, Nathan completed a triathlon in Windsor to support a Berkshire mental health charity Sport in Mind. He signed up for swimming (1500 m), cycling (40K) and running (10K). In the scorching summer heat last year, Nathan completed the triathlon and not only raised a generous amount for the charity via fundraising but also set an example for strong willpower and support for mental health.

Nick Bathurst – District Skills Instructor and Scout Leader

Nick is a District Skills Instructor and a Scout Leader for a local scout group in Charvil, ensuring that children between 10 and 14 and other scout groups are engaged and encouraging young people to be better citizens, enhancing their life skills and working to the scouting ethos.

Nick is a coach and committee member of a local archery club, teaching and encouraging full participation in sport and ensuring that all club members improve their abilities within the sport of archery. Actively taking part and helping others in recognised competitions both internal to the club and externally across the southern counties of England.  

Nigel Frankland – Reading Canoe Club

Nigel has volunteered as a coach at Reading Canoe Club since 1998. Nigel is out on the river every week coaching children to enjoy paddling and building their skills and confidence in a boat. Nigel works with all ages and abilities from fitness paddlers to Olympic hopefuls and widens access by creating parings so paddlers with disabilities can participate.

Nigel goes above and beyond to share his expertise and passion for canoeing to enable young people to experience the sport, build up their confidence and connect with others. 

Rebecca Berkley – Universal Voices

In 2017 Rebecca set up Universal Voices, a choir for local children. The choir is thriving. Around 120 children aged seven to 12 have been involved to date, coming from almost 20 primary schools in the local area. 

Rebecca has run Partnership Festival concerts at the University in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 which have welcomed nearly 1,000 children to come and sing with Universal Voices. She oozes enthusiasm for music, for choirs, for providing much needed opportunities for her Institute of Education (IoE)students and for our local community.

Rebecca has encouraged many IoE students to volunteer with the choir, which has enabled them to develop their skills in project management, choral conducting, and they have provided great peer-to-peer support for one another.

Ruchi Goyal – Age UK

Ruchi has done an incredible job of volunteering with the Age UK charity, helping so many people to feel less alone during such as a challenging time as the pandemic. Ruchi is an inspiration of a person and managed to juggle her PhD responsibilities, teaching and volunteering all at the same time.

Wafa Qasim Shaikh – Race Equality Action Group, Staff Disability Network

Wafa has always been very passionate about and loyal towards her work. She has been an active member of the self-assessment team as part of the Race Equality Action Group. The group carried out work to break down barriers that hinder progress and quality of experience for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and students at Reading. 

Passionate about mental health issues, she is also part of the Staff Disability Network. Joining some of her colleagues, they have created a dedicated staff network to support with mental health issues. The group hopes to provide access to resources, events and create a safe environment for staff to discuss their mental health difficulties.

Akbar Karim – STaR Mentor

"Aki was a STaR PG International Mentor for three years and supported so many international students with their start at Reading. Aki went above and beyond in this volunteer role, featuring in a film about STaR Mentoring.

Aki was always available to help and support the scheme, present at our events and encouraged others to take part. He even spoke to lots of undergraduate students and got them to apply and volunteer. In addition to this Aki is one of the kindest and most supportive people I have ever met and I feel he so deserves this award. He was made to be a mentor!"

Alfie Heasmer-Jones – Students in Schools

"Our school really appreciates all the help Alfie gives in our Year 1 class, the class teacher loves having Alfie come to help in class. He interacts well with the children and has built up a fantastic rapport with the children."

Ambreen Azeem – Law School Ambassador, Freedom Law Clinic, Teaching and Learning project student partner

Ambreen has been a key part of the student teams for the School of Law open and offer days, talking both to students and parents about her experience of the University of Reading, and giving a positive but honest response. She has allayed fears especially among families that don't have any experience of university or the law profession. 

Ambreen has also undertaken a pro bono volunteering activity with the Freedom Law Clinic (FLC) for wrongful convictions. She worked on a client case, working through case papers and attending regular meetings. Ambreen also represented FLC at the Law Society annual Pro Bono and Co-Curricular Fair to promote this to other students and answer their questions about how it works in practice.

Ambreen is a student partner in a Teaching and Learning project to explore the hidden curriculum and support student transitions into university, led by Amanda Millmore. She has given great feedback of her experience as a first-generation student. A glossary of terms has been produced for new Law students with no experience or connection to the law.

She has encouraged students to come to Reading, made life easier for future first-generation students, as well as working on a wrongful conviction case.

Caleb Miller – Wycliffe Baptist Church

"Caleb joined our music bands whilst being a student at the University of Reading. He has been generous and flexible in being available both in the morning and evening on a Sunday. Since we lost a staff member from a worship and digital role, Caleb has stepped up to lead the worship band for the evening service every other week. He shows great maturity, commitment and a gift for the role."

Chloe Simpson-Martin – Students in Schools

Chloe was a volunteer at Loddon Primary School in 2021/22. Along with supporting the children in the classroom, Chloe also helped with their Year 5 summer stage production.

So many of the children started out rehearsals being very timid and not quite having found their voice, but as she worked with them helping them practice their lines and acting out the scenes, their confidence and their performances dramatically improved and their enjoyment became obvious. 

Chloe Fleming – Senior Rep

Chloe has been a brilliant and dedicated Senior Rep. She has worked hard to connect not only with students in her own department, but also students from other departments to understand their experiences. Recognising the challenges of the start of term, she ran a school welfare event to improve wellbeing and help to build community within the school. 

Ellen Capon – Students in Schools

"Ellen Capon was a volunteer in my class last year when I was teaching at New Town Primary School. Ellen really stood out as an amazing ‘Students in Schools’ volunteer and in total she spent 66 hours volunteering with us. She came in every week for most of the school year, including during the university holidays when most students have gone home. 

On every visit she would stay on for an extra hour and she even joined us on our school trip! This was a great help to our staff and the children really enjoyed her being with us. She was great with the SEN children in the class and was always very proactive in supporting the children. She was able to make a real difference to the children she helped and it was a pleasure to have her in my classroom.

She made a real impact in New Town School and other teachers even commented on how friendly and professional she was around the school."

Emine Serap Karacan – Students in Schools

Emine spent 70 hours over 22 visits in Loddon Primary School, which was the biggest contribution made by any of our volunteers last year. She spent much of her time giving one-to-one maths support to a boy who was lacking in confidence and struggling to keep up with his peers. The attention and support that she provided over so many weeks had a huge impact, helping build his confidence and improving his maths skills significantly.  

To motivate students, Emine gave them stickers upon achieving success or recognising their own progress, which they proudly displayed on their uniforms. The reward system created a fun learning environment and incentivised better performance. Some students even asked questions just to earn more stickers, bringing energy and motivation to the classroom.

At the Bulmershe School this year, Emine again exceeded the requirements of the scheme, giving support during a Year 7 maths class. Emine was able to build up good relationships with these children so that they became comfortable asking questions and asking for her help.

Such was the impact that Emine had within this class that when she made her final visit, they gave her a beautiful thank you card signed and decorated by 17 of the children as well as their maths teacher, thanking her for helping them so much in their maths lessons. 

Erin Ngo – Students in Schools

Erin was a volunteer at Loddon Primary School where she spent a total of 50 hours helping in the classroom. She also volunteered to record a “Welcome to your new School” video message in Cantonese. This was an initiative started during lockdown to produce a series of scripted welcome messages in a range of languages for young children newly arrived in the country and speaking little or no English.

The message aims to reassure the children, to make them feel welcome and to give them some tips on how to settle into their new school. 

Farheen Khan – Cancer Research UK

Farheen volunteered at Cancer Research UK where they were managing people and helping sort and organise all the clothes and toys into sections. They gained experience in this field and learned what goes on behind the scenes at a charity shop. They also served customers at the till as a cashier which boosted their confidence. 

Ffion Jones – Students in Schools

"Ffion supported me during class lessons at our primary school. Ffion was amazing. She worked really hard with my SEN children in class and took on board suggestions to help them. She is an approachable individual and the children loved having her in class, providing ideas and helping them with any work or project they had."

Francesca Ezennolim – Play Action International

Francesca has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to volunteering and has made a significant impact through her selfless actions.

She has dedicated her time and efforts to volunteering and fundraising for the charity Play Action International. Her hard work and dedication have helped to raise significant funds that have been used to support the organisation's programmes aimed at providing access to play and education for children in disadvantaged communities across East Africa.

What makes Francesca's work truly special is the way she has championed the power of play in transforming lives for children in these areas. By helping to build a playground for Itukulu Primary School in Uganda, Francesca has given thousands of children access to a childhood that they may not have had otherwise.

The playground has since significantly increased school attendance, test results have improved along with student wellbeing and, as a result, enhanced student prospects in the area. 

Georgios Papailia – UN World Food Programme

Georgios volunteered through Freerice as part of their RED award, where through the game they collected rice grains to be donated to the UN World Food programme.

Jenny Putnam – Alana House

Jenny volunteered with a local women's charity, Alana House, run by Parents and Children Together (PACT), during 2020 through the University of Reading's student volunteering scheme. Jenny had been supporting the charity with some of the communications challenges it was experiencing as face-to-face support had to stop during lockdown.

Jenny helped with some ideas about ways to engage with the women more as they struggled to get many of them to engage with Zoom calls. She also advised on other ways to try and connect with a wider audience.

Laura Rogan, a senior support worker at Alana House said that the materials Jenny sent over were really helpful and informative. Jenny was keen and flexible to adapt what materials she sent to meet the needs of our clients.

Jessica Foreman – Students in Schools

"Jessica has been volunteering at Maiden Erlegh School – a local secondary school – for two years. She comes to German and Spanish classes to help students stay focused in lessons and to support them learning a foreign language.

As we have fewer teaching assistants in schools than ever before, Jessica's input is invaluable. When the university term is less hectic she even volunteers to come in more than once a week, therefore she has gone above and beyond her work as a volunteer." 

JoJo Chan – Students in Schools

"JoJo volunteers to come into our nursery class each week to support a little boy who has recently moved to the UK from Hong Kong. JoJo is able to communicate with the little boy in his home language.

Before JoJo came to help us the little boy was "feeling lonely" as he had very little English language. His face lights up with delight when he sees JoJo... it gives him a “voice” in his home language."

Juliane ten Hoevel – Wycliffe Baptist Church, Once a Month Reading

"Jules has been instrumental in us being able to open on a Sunday evening to ensure all those in our community, who need a helping hand, are able to collect food that would otherwise be binned by the local supermarkets. 

Off the back of the food handouts, Jules realised that students were experiencing period poverty and went about linking the university with charities that could support those students who needed help. She then donated a large quantity of sanitary products to the foodshare programme so we could make the same offer to the ladies collecting food.

Without dedicated volunteers like Jules, we would not have been able to run throughout the pandemic. She has stepped up and leads the handout on Sunday nights with compassion, empathy and efficiency."

"Juliane was able to go above and beyond to donate sanitary products through the student-led Once a Month project, aimed at relieving period poverty in Reading.

She has strengthened the work that was started last year in such a powerful way that she has now given Once a Month Reading the social standing and legacy it needs to be sustained by a brand-new student committee next year.

When leading on the team she was always thinking about making strategic decisions and ensuring that the project was sustainable long-term, as well as reaching out to the student body and making students aware of period poverty and what change can be made by supporting the project."

Katherine Birch – Students in Schools

Katherine was an experienced competitive debater and coach who approached Students in Schools with the idea of running a debate society in a local secondary school. She submitted a proposal and The Bulmershe School jumped at the opportunity of running this as an after-school activity for their Year 8 and 9 students. 

Katherine then devised a 10-week programme culminating in a debate competition. Each week the children were introduced to the rules of debate and were given practical exercises to try out their newfound debate skills. 

Such was the popularity of these sessions that as word got around the school more children would turn up each week, until they eventually had to stop any more new arrivals. Much to the school's delight even the quieter and less confident children in the group were fully engaged and debated the topics with great enthusiasm. 

At the end of the 10 weeks, with the debating skills the children had learned they competed in pairs in a competition and were all given certificates to recognise their successful participation in 'The Bulmershe School Debate Society'.

Kumar Nishant – RED Award, Students in Schools, Course Rep

"You are helping others and that should make you feel good. You are making a difference in people's lives and impacting the world in a positive way. You are also doing good for your own mental and physical health by being active, feeling happy about helping others, and feeling accomplished.

I learned team spirit and discipline. I am more proficient in understanding others’ feelings and issues. I am getting out of box exposure."

Laia Lasso Shanchez – Museum of English Rural Life

Laia has been a dedicated volunteer at the Museum of English Rural Life for a few years now and is very passionate about all aspects of volunteering and going above and beyond at the museum. She leads tours, has learned about the collections and details around the museum, and encourages visitors to participate in various activities.

Lasin Ilbay – Students in Schools

Lasin was amazing in Year 6. She was full of energy and enthusiasm and that helped motivate everyone even when we were feeling low. She arrived early and helped organise resources and was fully interactive with the children. Even after her placement ended, she continued to come every week to help support the children. 

Mac Neil Kalowekamo – Green Volunteers

Mac Neil has been really involved with the Green Volunteers litter picks this academic year, and has shown a lot of commitment to the project as a volunteer. 

Mackenzie Laird – LifeSpring Church

"Mackenzie moved to the UK to study her master’s and immediately got involved in volunteering at LifeSpring. She volunteers at our community cafe at least two days a week and helps with our regular children's club as well as other things.

She has made a real impact, she is brilliant with the children in club and is exemplary with the customers at the cafe. She is very committed and well-liked by everyone. Mackenzie works extremely hard and is always willing to go the extra mile."

Marena Ahmadi – Tutor

“The impact it has had on me is positive as I am now able to interact with different types of people. An example is communication, initiative and organisation skills.

There was a situation where a young girl did not feel comfortable joining the group to perform the football drill. I observed this and asked the coach if I may provide a one-to-one drill to get her comfortable, and increase her confidence so she can eventually join the group. This resulted in me thinking of different activities to keep her engaged yet help her improve her skills.

Consequently, she felt able and finally joined the group.”

Michelle Mothibi – LifeSpring Church, Course Rep, Student Council, CIOB UoR Champion

“I started volunteering at the Lifespring Church warm hub because they offer families an opportunity to come into the church for a hot drink and hot meal where there is heating. This gives me an opportunity to be with family because my daughter and husband are back home in Botswana. 

I also volunteer as a Course Rep, Student Council Member and CIOB University of Reading Champion because these roles give me an opportunity to advocate for the personal and professional development of young professionals.”

Molly Butler – Plant-based Universities Campaign

"Molly has led the Plant-based Universities Campaign since the beginning of the academic year. She has kept the campaign going, organised outreach events, and led the talk at the sustainability summit. She is the reason this campaign is so successful due to her hard work and determination and she deserves recognition.

We have been so successful that we are having active serious talks with the University about our campaign." 

Mukaddas Butabaeva – Students in Schools

“I am volunteering at a primary school. I enjoy dealing with children and assisting them with their studies. Even though I just started volunteering, I'm excited to take part in the event because my course is ending this year and I won't be able to take part in next year's events.”

Oscar Pratley Creighton – STaR Mentor

"Oscar has been a StaR mentor for Pharmacy for two years now. He has gone above and beyond to support his fellow students. Oscar has been there to take on extra students who are struggling and to support them to settle in.

Oscar also supported with the in-person training by coming along to talk to the students about his experience as a mentor. He gave such honest and sound advice to the new mentors. Oscar also helped out at our student life events and open days and was so good at making people feel comfortable." 

Poppy Thorne – Care Experience and Estranged Student Group

Poppy has been instrumental in setting up the Care Experienced and Estranged student group. As a care experienced student herself, Poppy saw there was a gap in support for these students. She set up a WhatsApp group and has grown her network over the past two years.

She made sure she linked up with the Student Success and Engagement Team, and we were able to support with catering and booking a safe space for them all. Poppy also sits on the Priority Groups steering committee where she is instrumental in advocating for care experienced and estranged students. Her kindness and compassion shines through. 

Ramandeep Nijjar – Green Volunteers, Zoology Course Rep, ITALIC group, Hedgehog Society

"Ramandeep has gone above and beyond and shown incredible commitment in numerous voluntary roles. They include the Green Volunteers who complete regular litter picks of campus and the surrounding areas, a Zoology Course Representative, volunteering with the ITALIC group which helps with insect specimens, running a neurodiversity workshop with Reading Students’ Union and co-running the Hedgehog Society, just to name a few.

In just about six months, Raman has managed to achieve so many things. Her strong passion for charity work and volunteering is very inspiring and has encouraged me and other students to get more involved with RUSU/the local community.

Raman is incredibly hardworking and does not give herself enough credit for the amazing work she has done, she has grown so much into a natural born leader. The work she has done for students who live with neuronal differences, local wildlife, sustainability, local community, and volunteering has impacted so many staff, students and community members positively."

Rebecca Campbell – Students in Schools

"Rebecca came to Meadow Park Academy as a volunteer in the classroom. She was approachable and reliable, helping the children with their lessons with enthusiasm and friendliness. The children naturally enjoyed her visits and support. As Rebecca was studying finance at university, she asked if she could work additional hours in school, shadowing me as I am the finance lead here.

During her time shadowing me, she was not afraid to tackle the many different tasks I set her with her usual enthusiasm and dedication, and she asked questions about our processes to gain a more in-depth understanding of the finance world. Rebecca was very helpful and conducted herself in a very professional manner.

I was confident in her ability and as a result of this it gave me a little more time to focus on other work, while Rebecca concentrated on the tasks set." 

Robert Hogge – B Radio Student Ambassador, Post Graduate Senior Rep, Vegan Society

Robert has taken part in numerous focus groups and panels, he's also given and still giving lots of his time as the B Radio student ambassador, helping students to get involved. He's also now a Postgraduate Senior Rep and has served on the Vegan Society committee for now the third year in a row.

He also gives his time to help teach in one of the modules for undergraduates. He does all of his volunteering quietly and without any fuss, and gives so much of his time to make an impact and help others.

Samuel Barber – Citizens Advice, Rotary Club

“Since the start of the RED Award, I have volunteered over 200 hours at Citizens Advice Reading which is a free service that led me to assist with issues on immigration, housing, debt, benefits and so much more. I was able to help many people during these hours and get them the help needed to make a positive change to their lives. 

Being able to assist people with benefits and get their lives back on track, or assisting those in a domestically abusive relationship, was very rewarding as I often received follow-up information from these people telling me how much the information and guidance I provided has impacted them.

Working with the Rotary Club, I assisted with raising awareness for, making, and sorting items for the Shoe Box Appeal which sends parcels filled with items such as items for new mothers, children's toys, household goods and educational activities to children in Eastern European countries all year round.”

Sarah Hubbard – Wycliffe Baptist Church

Sarah has volunteered significantly in both music and parent and toddler work at Wycliffe Baptist Church. She has learnt to lead worship, and has gone on to lead bands regularly e.g. 1:3. She leads to a high standard.

She joined the team that hosts a parents/carers' and toddlers group that runs every Wednesday morning during term-time. This involves greeting families, playing with the children and chatting to the adults. Sarah is amazingly gifted at this, and with her international experience was very good at coming alongside our attendees from a diverse cultural background.

Shih Hsuan Cheng – 52nd Reading Scout Group, Green Volunteer, Course Rep

“I attend the 52nd Reading Scout Group, and I accompany children every Thursday. In each activity I need to design some small games and care about each child to make sure they are happy in each event. For example, one of the activities is that I introduce the Lunar New Year to children and teach them about the international culture.

I'm a member of Green Volunteers at RUSU and help to do litter picking in the Reading community every month.

I volunteer as a representative of my master’s degree and collect feedback from our classmates and report to the director committee.”

Sivakumaran Kennedy – Students in Schools

"Siv has been helping in our Year 1 class and the children love him. He has built a fantastic relationship with the class and the teacher is extremely grateful for the extra help she receives."

Sophie Jordan – Students in Schools, Course Rep

"Sophie first became engaged with Students in Schools during the pandemic when we were unable to place volunteers in schools. She signed up to help produce some online resources through a new initiative ‘Subject Snippets’. These resources were designed to introduce children to subjects that could be studied at the University of Reading and included a range of materials including story readings, quizzes, activity sheets and what it is like studying the subject at university.

Sophie, an English student, co-produced material on Michael Morpurgo’s book Kensuke’s Kingdom. When in-person volunteering resumed, Sophie volunteered to support an English class at Maiden Erlegh in Reading, a local secondary school.

This year she has been giving general classroom support at Loddon Primary School. Sophie has been an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer throughout the last three years.

In her capacity as a Senior Rep, Sophie went above and beyond to encourage students to take up the Course Rep role at the start of term, taking the initiative and coordinating with School staff. She has also worked with School staff to organise events within the school.

She has a genuine drive to improve things for the students she represents and to enhance their learning experience, and that really shines through when you're working with her." 

Tai-Hsin Lu – STaR Mentor

"Tai-Hsin, also known as Ethan, is an international student that I only met in my second year of studies. He works harder than anyone I know and has gone above and beyond in academics and to support me as a friend with my difficult family situation at home.

Tai-Hsin does everything he can to progress himself and has done plenty of things on campus such as becoming a STaR Mentor. I really can't stress his impact enough on not just me but other students that have struggled personally and academically."

Thomas Hudson – Senior Rep

As a Senior Rep, Thomas has worked hard to build relationships with his Course Reps. Departments in his school are very separate and – as a rep for the whole School – Thomas has put time and effort into trying to bridge these gaps. He recognises issues in departments that could be solved by solutions from other departments (and even other schools).

He's very passionate about academic representation and is working to organise a conference with reps from other universities because he believes that the exchange of knowledge and solutions would be valuable and help reps in encouraging schools to make change. 

Ugiloy Kurbonova – Students in Schools

“That was the first time I had ever participated in the long-term volunteering with Students in Schools from December to February. I love the process and the impact on my future career. I tried to be responsible and disciplined during that term. This award inspires me to be enrolled in doing more for the society.”

Victoria Backley – Students in Schools

In her first year, Victoria was a volunteer at Redlands Primary School where she significantly exceeded the requirements of the scheme, spending a total of 40 hours in school giving general classroom support and accompanying the children on a school trip to The British Museum.

This year Victoria has volunteered again and is currently supporting young readers at New Christ Church School. She represents Students in Schools with enormous enthusiasm and commitment and has been instrumental in signing up many new volunteers. 

William Leung – Students in Schools

"William has been an exceptional volunteer and representative for the University. He has given up his time to help us at our school. He has worked with various year groups supporting in Science, English and Maths. He has offered up expertise and ideas for how we can be best supporting the students.

William has joined us and helped in the library, issuing books and giving advice to students about different books.

William has been a fantastic addition to our community, joining us for carol concerts and other extra curriculars. I have been so impressed by his willingness to get involved in all areas of school life and the fact he is giving up his time to be a part of our school community.

It has been a pleasure to work and get to know William and the children at our school look forward to his visits each week!"