The National Societies Awards – The Proposed Event

The National Societies Awards will be an awards ceremony for societies across the country, hosted by The Students’ Union at the University of the West of England (UWE) on Saturday 28th May 2016. Students' Unions are run by students,for students, and a big part of that are the student-led societies which make up the majority of the paid membership.

Societies have yet to gain any formal recognition for their considerable contribution to the progression of student learning, career development and student experience at university. The National Societies Awards would aim to credit Society’s efforts and grant them national acknowledgment for their contribution to the student experience. Most importantly through the awards we are identifying the future leaders of tomorrow.

The event will grant students, who have gone above and beyond the expected, the highest recognition. Their efforts and achievements can then be highlighted on their CV’s which will in turn enhance their employability and graduate opportunities.

So far there are 35 confirmed universities who have shown considerable interest for the ceremony. The objective of the annual event is to provide a formal environment where we can celebrate the successes highlighted through the awards. We aim to generate support from relevant sponsor companies to provide credibility and boost the recognition of the event to national organisations.

So why have a National Societies Awards Event?

Student-led societies are currently lacking recognition for the amazing work they do. We hope the National Societies Awards will place more significance on societies in relation to student experience and employability. By introducing an awards scheme on a national scale, it will give students something to work towards on a larger scale. We imagine the impact of the event to be that students strive to 'do more' and 'be more' in order to be provided with the highest level of recognition.  

Rewards and Sponsorship

Are you a student who wishes to support a progressive awards scheme?

Are you part of a company that wants to encourage the future leaders of the world to continue their amazing work?

There is a sponsorship option for you! Please check out our pledge options to see how you can help or contact us on nationalsocietiesawards@gmail.com to request a sponsorship pack.

The Team  

The team is led by Gem Heywood, Vice-President for Societies and Communication at the Students’ Union. Gem has surrounded herself with enthusiastic students from a diverse range of subject backgrounds who share her passion for the creation of the new Awards.

The implementation team are collaborating with 35 other universities from across the country which is fully supported by the Vice President for Union Development for NUS.

We hope your investment will be the beginning of a long-term journey with an annual National Societies Awards Ceremony.

Where will your money go?

This event is entirely not-for-profit. Money raised will go towards the event and anything excess will go to charity.

UK Youth is the largest national body for the youth sector who, via our partners, deliver a wide range of informal educational opportunities to young people aged 9-25 years, living in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Through their network of youth development organisations, they empower 729,694 young people to take control of their own lives with the support, encouragement and opportunities they need to help them reach their full potential and grow into confident, capable adults who lead fulfilling lives. In 2014/15, 68,583 of these young people took part in their innovative programmes, gained accreditation or attended their outdoor learning centre, Avon Tyrrell.

In addition to this, they put £3.3 million into community based organisations, helping to deliver inspiring life skills programmes and encouraging every young person we support to become a positive force for change in their own life, and the lives of others. Read more about UK Youth