Five students at Robert Gordon University (RGU) have been honoured at a national level for their outstanding contributions to volunteering.
Students Ashley Graham (21), Amy McNellis (24), Kerry Harrison (22), Rebecca Lloyd (21) and Emma Diamond (24) from a range of disciplines at RGU have been awarded the national Saltire Awards’ highest accolade, ‘the Saltire Summit’.
A national initiative, the Saltire Awards are a Scottish Government endorsed scheme which, split into four award levels and regionalised, recognises the volunteering contributions of young people in their communities.
Recipients of the ‘Saltire Summit’ are nominated for the prestigious title for outstanding volunteering efforts and exceeding expectations having successfully achieved the first three awards on offer – the ‘Saltire Challenge’, the ‘Saltire Approach’ and the ‘Saltire Accent’.
The students were nominated for the honour by the university’s Students’ Union (RGU:Union), which works closely with RGU’s student body to provide, promote and encourage volunteering and development opportunities.
The five students are all heavily involved with volunteering at RGU:Union in a variety of ways from leading student societies, fundraising and supporting charities, involvement with community projects to supporting and representing the student body academically.
Stevie Kearney, Student Development and Volunteering Co-ordinator at RGU: Union, who nominated the students for the award, said: “The students have shown outstanding commitment and have gone above and beyond in their various volunteering roles.
“They all fully deserve the recognition so I’m delighted that they have been awarded the prestigious Saltire Summit as they have made a huge difference with their volunteering.
“Students who volunteer are not only helping the many worthwhile causes but they are also making a massive difference to the way employers look at their job applications, especially at a time when the labour market isn’t as buoyant as in previous years.”
The students were awarded their Saltire Summit by Kevin Stewart MSP at a special event organised by Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO), which administers the awards in Aberdeen on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Applied Biomedical Science student, Ashley Graham, who attended the event, says: “I’m really proud and honoured that my volunteering work has been recognised in such a prestigious way. Volunteering is really rewarding and it’s fantastic that RGU students can get nationally recognised for their work, which hopefully encourages others to get involved.”
Joyce Duncan, chief executive of ACVO, added: ‘On behalf of all of the team at ACVO, I congratulate Ashley, Amy, Kerry, Rebecca and Emma and everyone at RGU on this tremendous achievement.
“The Saltire Awards have been an astounding success and Scotland is now a world leader in youth volunteering. Students at RGU are a key part of this success and bring fantastic skills and enthusiasm to volunteering which has made a real difference to the lives of many in Aberdeen.”