• Have you set up community project?
  • Are you a school governor?
  • Do you help out at your local hospital?
  • Do you visit older people who live alone?
  • Do you help deprived teenagers get involved in sport?
Many students, staff and alumni give their personal time and energy helping disadvantaged groups in the community locally, nationally and overseas. In addition, as part of its strategic vision, the university aims to encourage greater social responsibility (Goal 3 in Advancing the Manchester 2015 Agenda).

To help realise this ambition, and to recognise and celebrate the community activity of its members, in 2010 the university launched a Community Service and Volunteer of the Year Awards scheme.  We are now open for nominations for the 2011 Awards.
Awards will be given in three categories:
  • Student of the Year - open to any current undergraduate or postgraduate of the University of Manchester.  This award is in association with University of Manchester Students' Union.
  • Staff of the Year - to any current staff member of the University
  • Alumni of the Year - to any alumni of the University of Manchester (including Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST)
To be eligible for these awards, the activity must address disadvantaged groups or deprived communities. Nominations should also not be for work that is part of a nominee's job but be over and above that which is expected.

Each winner will receive a cheque, made out to the organisation that they support: £300 for the overall winner, and £200 and £100 for the 2nd and 3rd place runners up.

In addition the overall winner in each category will be put forward for the University Social Responsibility Award.

The closing date for all nominations is 21st March 2011.

We hope that as many students, staff and alumni as possible will support this initiative and will put forward nominations for themselves or for others.

Recipients of awards from the 2007 pilot scheme or 2010 Awards will not be eligible.

The Awards are organised by the MLP, Careers and Employability Division, which is part of the Directorate for the Student Experience.