Celebration Week takes place every year and recognises the outstanding achievements of societies, sportspeople and individuals alike from the University of Worcester. One of the major events that takes place during this week is the Union Awards, which recognises and celebrates the efforts of those particularly dedicated students and members of staff.
One such student is Rebecca Abrams, who was awarded Community Volunteer of the Year at this semester’s Union Awards held in July. During her time at Worcester, Rebecca was Treasurer of the Archaeology Committee whilst also managing to commit a very impressive 524 total hours to volunteering.
As further reward for her commitment, Rebecca was awarded £300 from the Worcestershire Ambassadors, presented by Philip Fowler, to donate to a charity of her choice, which she chose as the Royston and District Girlguiding in Hertfordshire. Rebecca says the money will be spent on centenary events for the district taking place in 2019 and will also contribute towards several exciting trips for the girls.
Rebecca was 12 when she started helping out at her old Brownie unit in her hometown of Royston and has remained a volunteer there ever since, even throughout her university career. As a shy young girl, Rebecca credited being part of this community environment as allowing her to come out of her shell, and solidified her desire to help other girls with similar confidence issues.
On her achievement’s, Rebecca said, “The Students’ Union allowed me to actually see how much time I’ve spent volunteering, as well as how much I’ve gained from it.
“Volunteering has meant that I have some time away from studying whilst at university and I don’t feel like I’m doing nothing. It’s also been very fulfilling to see the girls who I’ve been a leader for grow and become more rounded individuals themselves. The volunteering I have completed through the University of Worcester Archaeology Society has been a great experience and it’s been very rewarding seeing the society grow and more socials and events put on throughout the year”
The Union Awards always promise to be a fun event and a perfect way to showcase those individuals who have gone the extra mile whilst at University - they certainly deserve all the recognition they get!
Finally, to leave you with a little word of advice from our Community Volunteer of the Year:
“Volunteering is great while you’re at university, if you have a bit of spare time to do so. Yet, don't take on too much and if you do, don't be scared to say that you want to volunteer less. It’s a great experience to have and there are so many different opportunities to volunteer here at Worcester. Also, don’t just volunteer because it will look good on your CV; do something you enjoy doing and make the most of it.”