Nominate your university volunteers of the year

Members of the community across Reading and beyond are invited to nominate students, staff and alumni and supporters in the University of Reading’s annual Celebration of Volunteering Awards, which include a new category for this year.

The Celebration of Volunteering Awards brings together staff, students, alumni and community partners to award, showcase and celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to volunteer on campus or in their local community.

To mark the University's centenary in 2026, a new award is launching this year – the Centenary Award for Long Service to Volunteering. This celebrates those who have demonstrated their dedication to volunteering by delivering outstanding and impactful volunteering for a period of five years or longer. This volunteering may have taken place with just one organisation or across a variety of volunteering opportunities.

In total, there are six award categories open for nominations:

• Reading Students’ Union Activist of the Year
• Student Volunteer of the Year
• Staff Volunteer of the Year
• Alumni and Supporter Volunteer of the Year
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Volunteer of the Year
• The Centenary Award for Long Service to Volunteering

Nominations close at 23:59 on Friday 30 January 2026.

The winners, and those shortlisted, will be announced at an evening event on Thursday 7 May. The event will also include an exhibition and series of videos showcasing the variety of volunteering roles that colleagues, students, alumni and supporters are involved in. 

Last year, staff, students and alumni and supporters were recognised for volunteer work that involved supporting a local toy bank, volunteering with a children’s choir, working with a Ugandan community centre and much more. A full round-up of the 2025 winners can be found online. 

How to nominate

An online form is available on the Celebration of Volunteering website.

People can nominate themselves or another person for any award. Nominations can be made by everyone and the University is encouraging members of the local community or from the University’s community partners to get involved.

Top tips on how to create a stand out nomination are available on the website.

The University will also be hosting a drop-in session on Wednesday 21 January, 12pm-1pm to provide further help and information on creating a good nomination. This will be held in the University of Reading Library café on the Whiteknights campus or can be joined online as well.

Any questions can be sent to: volunteer@reading.ac.uk.