Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1145405
WELCOME Hello all and welcome to the 2017 FXU Awards! This is without a doubt one of the absolute highlights of the year and we want to say a huge congratulations to everyone nominated, shortlisted and, of course, to the winners of each and every award. This year we saw such an incredible number of nominations from people who cared so passionately about the person/people they were nominating that it took several hours of extensive debates and conversations before winners were decided. So, to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination, thank you! Without you taking the time to recognise the incredible work of your friends and colleagues we wouldn’t be here tonight. So grab yourself a drink and let’s celebrate the hundreds of wonderful achievements from the year in true FXU style! Thank you and good luck! From your FXU Presidents 2016/17 Tom Murray-Richards, FXU President Exeter Chris Slesser, FXU President Falmouth Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson, FXU President Student Experience Alexa Webster, FXU President Community & Welfare
ORDER OF CEREMONY Drinks reception performance by Saulius Jegelevicius 6 10 14 16 18 21
RAD Awards Volunteering Awards V Team Gold Awards Sustainability Award Andy Hocking Award Student Voice Awards
Performance by The Chorus Interval Performance by Viva Voce 30 36 42 44 46 48
Society Awards Sports Awards Student Experience Award FXU Award Open Award The Daniel Palmer Award
Presenting the RAD Awards is Andy King from East African Playgrounds/Uganda Gorilla Trek. Andy started supporting FXU RAD early in 2016 when FXU RAD first started working with charity challenges/ volunteering abroad. Andy has made the long trip down from EAP HQ to work with students on numerous occasions - to manage the volunteers EAP have recruited, to offer training support and keep the morale of the fundraisers at an all-time high. In doing so, he has set a precedent for the larger organisations RAD now works with, improving the overall quality of support offered to students.
Fundraising Event of the Year This is the award for the student, or group of students, who have demonstrated the most original way of raising funds since 23 May 2016. The shortlisted nominees are:
Charity Week (FXU Islamic Society) Charity Week was a new week-long event introduced to the Islamic Society calendar. They promoted collaboration between multiple clubs and societies to host fundraising activities. Not only did they raise over £1,000 for charity but the society also broke down stigmas and stereotypes around Islam and ‘what a Muslim is’. A great collaborative effort!
CSM Rugby Head Shave CSM Rugby decided to turn their annual head shave into an innovative and engaging charity event this year with great results. They set forfeits for those who raised the least for charity and, if you look around the room, there may be some evidence of the comedy haircuts that were given as a result. The event raised £945 for Rugby for Heroes and a bigger profile for CSM Bottle Match.
Pedalling for Pounds (Mary’s Meals) A refreshing spin on the standard sponsored cycle, the Mary’s Meals team embarked on a virtual cycling tour from Malawi, covering 840 miles between seven committee members. They worked closely with the Falmouth Anchor and Her Campus to promote the event and, as a result, raised £676.76 for the Mary’s Meals charity, which will feed 48 children for an entire year.
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Most Significant Contribution to Fundraising This is the award for the student, or group of students, who have made the most significant contribution to fundraising this academic year. The shortlisted nominees are:
CSM Rugby
Jake Dowling
CSM Rugby has really stepped up the game this year, showing other sports clubs how it’s done when it comes to fundraising.
Jake came forward this year to revive a Cornwall Campus original, and logistically difficult, event, Rally4ShelterBox, with only a couple of months to pull it together.
They took on Movember as a team, created an artistic nude calendar to help support and raise awareness of the charitable causes and changed up their annual comedy hair cut into a great fundraising initiative.
Hannah Smith As RAD President, Hannah has a huge amount of responsibility on her shoulders, which she has taken in her stride and this year she has turned RAD into a ‘powerhouse of a student group’ recognised nationally. She successfully ran for a regional position on the National Student Fundraising Committee and represents RAGs/ RADs from the South West and Wales. This year we have seen an exponential expansion of RAD activities and engagement and, as a result, RAD are on track to record over £75,000 of student fundraising.
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Taking it back under the wing of GeogSoc, under Jake’s leadership, the GeogSoc committee have transformed the event back to its former glory and more, raising its profile and gaining support from numerous celebrities, such as Joanna Lumley, Ben Fogle, Sir Chris Hoy and even Audi.
Olivia Cooper Olivia embarked on a personal endeavour to support a friend in need of life-changing stem cell treatment. She pledged to shave her head and led with the tagline of ‘if I can give my hair, what can you give?’. She created an innovative and engaging marketing campaign, regularly posting pictures and videos. As a result of her multiple events, hard work and shaved head, Olivia raised an outstanding total of £3,500.
Greatest Contribution to Fundraising by a Sports Club or Society Result from RAD fundraiser leader board on 21 April 2017. The shortlisted nominees are:
CSM Rugby This year the team have supported two charity campaigns, Movember and Rugby for Heroes.
FX Run Shortlisted for funds raised through their involvement in the Budapest Marathon Charity Challenge.
FXU Islamic Society This year FXU’s Islamic Society held a Charity Week and encouraged other clubs and societies to get fundraising.
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Presenting the Volunteering Awards is the Penryn Town Mayor.
Student-led Volunteer Project of the Year This is awarded to the project that has shown significant achievement and sustained volunteer satisfaction with a focus on volunteer training and education. This winner has gone above and beyond and shown effort to collaborate with other groups where possible. Most importantly, they must have had a positive impact on the local and student community. The shortlisted nominees are:
FXU Flicka Volunteering Project This year Flicka have made an amazing effort to expand on the diversity of their activities and focused greatly on volunteer satisfaction. They have added specially-adapted beginner sessions, session leader inductions and trips to other sanctuaries to develop the group and make it more accessible and fun. They have also excelled at collaboration this year, working with K9 Crusaders and the Woodlane Nursery Volunteers on various fundraising and social events. The group has been consistent in their delivery, offering at least one, if not more, sessions per week since the beginning of term.
Generation Wild Generation Wild has delivered nearly 50 hours of environmental education to 500 children in the local community completely free of charge. They received great praise from community partners and have recently initiated an exciting new link with the Green Party. In addition, they introduced forestry school training as an added bonus to allow volunteers to socialise and boost their skills-set.
Mary’s Meals New this year, Mary’s Meals has blown everyone away in terms of activity and gaining a voice on campus. A new concept brought to FXU in September by one student has grown to a dedicated team of 15 volunteers meeting regularly and raising just shy of £1,000. Their list of activities has included bag packing at Iceland, cake sales, handing out porridge to raise awareness, a coffee morning, their big charity event ‘Pedalling for Pounds’ and much more.
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Most Outstanding SLVP Committee Member This is awarded to the committee member who has shown an outstanding dedication and enthusiasm for their Student-Led Volunteer Project. They must show excellent leadership and organisation skills and show evidence of going above and beyond to ensure that their volunteers have the best experience possible. The shortlisted nominees are:
Ellen Whitby and Katya Zaki Ellen and Katya are an unstoppable force and their level of determination and commitment to Generation Wild has been fantastic over the last three years, continuing into their masters studies. They have created the project from scratch and were never short of volunteers who shared their passion but have had to overcome many hurdles, gaining contacts and setting up links to enable the project. Their patience has paid off and this year in particular the project has gone from strength to strength, gaining a great following and shouts of praise from the local community.
Samantha Mosedale Sam is an outstanding leader and has developed the Flicka Project into one of FXU’s best all-round projects of 2017. She understands the importance of accessibility and has introduced beginner training sessions and even shop volunteering for those who are not as confident to create an inclusive atmosphere. She always goes the extra mile to make everyone feel included and valued. Her committee has said ‘Sam is a great listener and will go out of her way to help solve issues, even if they have nothing to do with the Project. She is the key to the project’s success’.
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Community Volunteer of the Year This is awarded to the student who has given the most outstanding contribution to the community through volunteering. The shortlisted nominees are:
Hannah Pollock Hannah has been prominently involved with a number FXU committee volunteer positions. This year she has taken on the role of RAD Vice President and her dedication was most visible in November when she donned a different moustache for every day of the month to show her support for Movember and lead by example. In her spare time she has been an ambassador for Stand Up for Nature, an environmental organisation, travelling to Malawi, educating the younger generation about the harmful impacts of poaching and celebrating their natural wildlife. Most recently SUfN brought the cycle-powered cinema to Gyllyngvase beach to host a similar event for Earth Hour.
Kieran Cutting Kieran’s nomination quoted him being ‘weirdly passionate about making Penryn the next big thing’ and his actions this year as the FXU Community Officer have been nothing but a force of positivity. He has played an integral part in the creation of ‘Penrynopoly’, a community project aiming to engage local long-term residents and students, starting a communication about Penryn’s current struggles and how we can all build a positive future together. To help fulfil this aim he is currently working on developing a ‘community committee’ consisting of 50% local residents and 50% students.
Samuel Constable Samuel has been invested in a number of university and community volunteer projects throughout his time at university. This year he completed his V Team Gold Award in the first term and has logged over 400 volunteer hours. Samuel’s current volunteer roles include being a 1st Redruth BB Company Youth Leader, Instrumental Teacher offering free brass lessons to children in Redruth, Band Master and Press Officer of the Carharrack and St Day Silver Band and he is a Falmouth Student Mentor. Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Presenting the V Team Gold Award is the Penryn Town Mayor.
V Team – Gold Award The V Team enables students to log their volunteer hours and employable skills gained, to work towards a Bronze, Silver and Gold Award. The Gold Award recognises a significant contribution of over 200 hours of volunteering in the community. To achieve the award, volunteers have provided evidence of four or more employable skills gained and have attended at least three volunteer training events.
Students who have achieved Gold Briony Flello Emily Fergusson Hannah Pollock Joshua King
Russell Barnett Samuel Constable Sarah Redman Zoe Armitage
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Presenting the Sustainability Award is Jill Scott from Clean Cornwall. Jill Scott is the friendly force behind Clean Cornwall. Clean Cornwall is a partnership of voluntary organisations, Cornwall Council, local businesses and the people of Cornwall. Their home is with Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) and they are funded by Cornwall Council through the support of local businesses. Chaired by Lady Mary Holborow DCVO, their partnership is dedicated to reducing the visible presence and impact of litter, protecting Cornwall’s hugely diverse landscape and promoting the importance of keeping the county litter-free and tidy.
Sustainable Project or Event of the Year This is the award for significant contribution to green living. The shortlisted nominees are:
Earth Hour Gylly Beach Bicycle Cinema Experience (Hannah Pollock and Jamie Unwin) Hannah Pollock and Jamie Unwin are 21-yearold Zoology students from the University of Exeter and together they’ve founded an NGO ‘Stand Up for Nature’. The organisation focuses on producing short films that target a wildlife crime or human wildlife conflict issue using a bicycle-powered cinema designed and constructed by Jamie, they then show this film to affected communities. Using education to bring about cultural evolution to conserve wildlife is at the core of their organisation. This event was in collaboration with FXU’s Wild Doc Soc.
Project Blue (Natasha Midgley) Project Blue is a student-led program that set out to research, campaign and make change. So far a body of students have battled plasticfree lent to become aware of how it is near to impossible to go plastic-free, as well as running a digital detox beach walk and science and wine evening. Now they are developing a plastic-free program for small businesses. Inspired by the experience gained by working with expeditions and larger environmental organisations, Project Blue was developed as a home-grown hub to offer the opportunity to develop the same life skills and opportunities as those who can afford to go on expeditions or work an unpaid internship.
Earth Hour with Eco Soc
The Beach Clean Project
For a second year, Eco Soc hosted a fantastic event for Earth Hour. They held a candlelit event within the walled garden on 26 March, with live acoustic music played by students and a fire to sit around with blankets and hot chocolate. They looked into the sustainability of the whole event, purchasing only sustainable beeswax candles and placing them in reused glass.
In 2006, a UNEP study estimated a million seabirds die after mistaking plastic for food every year, as well as around 100,000 sea mammals. The increase in use of plastics, namely plastic bags and bottles, are the main cause of environmental damage to our beaches. Therefore students decided to tackle the issue by taking matters into their own hands, offering a unique volunteering opportunity and making a constant positive impact on the marine environment.
Eco Soc’s Earth Hour event has been a good example to students as how to improve their sustainability in small but significant ways.
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Presenting the Andy Hocking Award is the Falmouth Mayor.
Outstanding Contribution to Community Engagement Sponsored by the Cornish Diving School This is the award for outstanding contribution to the local and wider community. The shortlisted nominees are:
Chloe Zillwood
John Lakey
Chloe has successfully created a supportive and empowering Muslim sisters community this year. Regular gatherings and events have helped the sisters grow and feel more confident in their Muslim identity, as well as international sisters feel more at home. Her kindness and compassion are truly amazing qualities and have allowed her to offer valuable support to her Muslim sisters. In addition, her efforts as an outstanding Islamic Society committee member have been recognised nationally through a nomination for the FOSIS Best Committee Member.
John has worked tirelessly over the last year to bring the community together and to raise the aspirations of young people through his work as a founding member of Cultivate Cornwall. Cultivate Cornwall was set up as a long-term social enterprise and is a dedicated team of Falmouth University students. In addition to running a weekly youth group, John supports a varied series of one-off events, including an eight-day training course which brought together 30 youth and voluntary sector workers from across Europe, which was only made possible through a successful funding application made to Erasmus.
Generation Wild Generation Wild put on regular sessions with local schools, guides and scout units with the aim of engaging children and giving them the opportunity to learn about the natural environment and conservation in a fun and interactive way. Generation Wild continues to build its links with schools and youth groups with the objective of allowing more children to benefit from the project and to reach a wider local community network.
Kieran Cutting Kieran has dedicated his time at university to deepening community engagement. He was part of the creation of ‘Penrynopoly’, a community project aiming to engage local long-term residents and students. As the FXU Community Officer on the Leadership Team he has encouraged students to get involved and have a positive impact on community decisions.
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Falmouth Academic Rep of the Year Presenting the Falmouth Academic Rep Award is Professor Alan Murray, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) for Falmouth University. This is the award for a Falmouth Course Rep or Department Rep that has contributed to either/both academic improvements and the development of FXU’s profile through their elected role. The shortlisted nominees are:
Dwayne Roberts (MTEM Course Rep and AMATA Department Rep) Dwayne has been an outstanding academic representative throughout his undergrad studies at Falmouth University. He has put in place initiatives which are now being rolled out across other courses as best practice. He has set a wonderful example to other Reps through his polite, determined and professional approach to representation work, exemplified through reps standing in elections because they “want to be like Dwayne”.
Ernst Mølø and Rebecca Aston (Games Academy) Ernst Mølø and Rebecca Aston have shared the role of Department Rep this year due to the distribution of the Games Academy across both Penryn and Falmouth Campuses. Of their notable achievements, one of the most significant is the creation of the department’s ‘You Said, We Did’ document in order to ensure that all feedback is clearly resolved and communicated back to the student body. This good practice has since been developed by FXU as a ‘Student Voice Tracker’.
Juliet Gibbs and Jessica Glover (Level 2 Fine Art) Juliet and Jessica have been incredibly dedicated course reps this year, taking their role seriously and working hard to ensure students’ views and voices have been presented at all formal opportunities, as well as feeding into several informal and ad-hoc meetings. They are passionate about their course and staff and have worked closely with the first and third year equivalents to create an impressive team of Fine Art representation.
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Exeter Academic Rep of the Year Presenting the Exeter Academic Rep Award is Ruth Grimmer, Head of Professional Services for the University of Exeter in Cornwall. This is the award for an Exeter Course Rep or Subject Chair that has contributed to either/both academic improvements and the development of FXU’s profile through their elected role. The shortlisted nominees are:
Marga Ortega (Renewable Energy) Marga Ortega has had the role of third year rep for Renewable Energy this year, a role at which she has excelled in. She always comes to meetings and is prepared with thorough and in-depth feedback and comments from students, and does a great job of passing information back to the students, closing the feedback loop.
Naomi Appleby (Conservation, Biology and Ecology) Naomi has the students’ interests at heart. At every Student Staff Liaison Committee meeting, Naomi always goes above and beyond to ensure she represents all of her constituents. She makes the most extensive preparations before the meetings, gathering quantitative data from her course to bring before the academics. She contributes hugely to the meetings and has made the most improvements to the course of any rep. This is due to her ability to listen to problems students have and suggest practical solutions for them.
Seren Dupont (BMBS – Medical School) Seren has been an outstanding rep for her peers this year. Representing students’ views in the medical school is especially tricky given how little time they actually spend together as a cohort and how complicated their academic experience is, having both the hospital and the university to communicate with. Seren is dedicated and committed to her role. Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Executive Officer of the Year Presenting this Award is Rob Lambert, Membership Engagement Executive from NUS. The National Union of Students (NUS) represents over seven million student voices across the United Kingdom, promoting, defending and extending student rights. NUS fights discrimination, isolation and injustice through campaigning and targeted action, harnessing the power of students through collective and democratic representation. This is the award for outstanding contribution to student voice work from an Executive Officer. The shortlisted nominees are:
Ellen Whitby (Volunteering Officer) Ellen has done a fantastic job of leading the development of FXU volunteering this year by starting the new volunteering committee and forum, encouraging volunteer groups to log more volunteering hours than ever before and championing the work they do. Ellen is always willing to help and has taken her role as part of the FXU Leadership Team seriously, getting involved in promoting the FXU President Elections and part-time officer elections.
Kieran Cutting (Community Officer) Kieran has been a huge asset to the Leadership Team this year. His work as Community Officer has seen him attending town council meetings, raising awareness of the neighbourhood plan and working with community groups to improve the perception of students in the local community. This work is of huge value to the student population and it has been impressive how Kieran has been able to juggle his commitments to make a powerful impact in his role. FXU’s profile has been raised and refined in the local community as a result of this work.
Lisa Burton (Student Voice Chair) Lisa’s natural ability has enabled her to facilitate key FXU meetings in a fun and engaging way, balancing the input from senior managers and partner institutions. Through her input Lisa has raised the profile of FXU through an active contribution in the FXU President Elections and Student Voice Week, helping to promote democracy to the wider student body.
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Student Voice Committee Member of the Year Presenting this Award is Rob Lambert, Membership Engagement Executive from NUS. This is the award for outstanding contribution by any representative student voice committee member. The shortlisted nominees are:
Dwayne Roberts (AMATA Department Rep)
Lisa Burton (Student Voice Chair)
Dwayne has put in place initiatives which are now being rolled out across the other departments as best practice. He has set a wonderful example to reps across his department through his polite, determined and professional approach to representation work, which has resulted in students standing in elections because they, “want to be like Dwayne�.
Lisa has been a great Chairperson for FXU Student Voice activity, which is a challenging and varied role. Lisa has pressed when answers are being avoided and acknowledged when a point has been made sufficiently. These are tricky situations to manage, especially when doing that with her peers, but she has done it well. She has been very visible and active during Elections and Student Voice weeks, helping promote democracy to the wider student body.
Emily Fergusson (Bioscience Subject Co-Chair) Emily has built a productive and positive working relationship with the CLES Director of Education and has dedicated an inordinate amount of time over the last year to making sure that the voices of students within her subject are heard. She constantly engages with students across all year groups, encouraging them to use every opportunity to feed back about their course and improve their experience.
Olly Smith (Business Subject Chair) Olly has been an excellent member of the Subject Chair Working Group this year. He has represented the Business cohort and has concisely and accurately fed back the opinions of Business students. He has also fed into conversations with senior management from the University of Exeter and shared best practice from his cohort, not only improving his own course but also other courses across the institution.
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Outstanding Contribution to Student Voice Presenting this Award is Ben Rowswell, FXU Student Voice Director. This is the award for an individual student, member of staff or student group who produces an outstanding contribution to student voice activity. The shortlisted nominees are:
Dean Pomeroy (Exeter Education Officer) Dean’s contribution to Student Voice work has been outstanding; not many students are able to dedicate so much time to representing their peers whilst still maintaining their commitments to their degree. Dean has always been a willing volunteer, demonstrating dedication and an exemplar attitude to raising the profile of Student Voice. As well as chairing EU Referendum Panels, Leadership Team meetings and sitting on University of Exeter Committees as a representative of students, he has also engaged in 1:1s with staff members, working on projects to enhance learning at the University. He is professional, prompt to respond to queries and reliable in attending meetings that he is required to as part of his role. Without volunteers as committed as Dean, the Student Voice would immeasurably suffer.
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Dwayne Roberts (AMATA Department Rep) Dwayne has continued to enhance FXU’s academic representation in collaboration with the Student Voice Team. He has developed and shared best practice including, a student-led ‘Department Forum’ and encouraged collaboration between Business and art students in order to attract commercial investment for projects.
Emily Seffar (Illustration Course Rep) Emily relentlessly stands up for the right for students to have their voice heard and consistently demands better communication about the changes being made to the university. Emily inspires and encourages other students to feel empowered to use their voice. Let’s sincerely hope someone follows in her footsteps next year! Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Performance by The Chorus The Chorus is a student-run and member-lead choir with a focus on providing something for everyone. They were set up with a focus on a cappella music but also incorporate a more traditionally led choir set up, meaning they get to sing a wide range of styles and material. All levels of musical ability and training are welcome to join.
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Performance by Viva Voce Viva Voce is FXU’s award-winning chamber choir! They rehearse weekly and are always open to new members, singing a range of music from Palestrina to Tallis. No auditions required so come along and give it a go!
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Presenting the Society Awards is sportsman David Follett. In April 2007, David suffered a Road Traffic Accident which left him with a Spinal Cord Injury at C6-C7 and paralysed from the chest down. David has been playing Para-Badminton for eight years, has competed in three world championships and is ranked number 19 in the world in his category and number two in England. David is currently training with the aim of competing at the 2020 Tokoyo Paralympic Games. David is a Level 2 qualified Badminton coach and regularly coaches local after school clubs. In 2008 he helped set up the Devon Racqueteers Wheelchair Badminton Club, which is now the UK’s largest Wheelchair Badminton club.
FXU Society of the Year This will be awarded to the overall best-performing society of the year. The shortlisted nominees are:
FXU Don’t DisAbility Society
FXU Pokémon Society
Don’t DisAbility Society can be described as a ‘game changer’ not only for the members it engages but for other societies who are able to witness what it means to truly influence the student experience for members of FXU. This society sees no limit and has been pivotal in major movements to make FXU and the universities a more accessible place.
When the President of one of FXU’s most successful societies of 2016/17 posts the following to its members, nothing more need be said as to why this society features as a nominee for ‘Society of the Year’:
The society has successfully engaged students, staff and the community in its drive to create one platform for all abilities and its multitude of successes include a nationally recognised campaign, ‘Don’t Disability Week’, charity fundraisers, an accessible trip to Eden (part-funded by Student Support Services) and regular weekly meetings that can provide opportunities for students who have previously been unable to access what has been on offer through the union.
FXU GeogSoc GeogSoc has paved the way in terms of achievement and, rather than resting at Gold Accreditation, it’s continued to aim to achieve higher and higher. By focusing on collaborations with other societies and clubs, career and employability opportunities and academic departments, the society has set the bar in terms of academic society achievement and membership opportunity - and it certainly doesn’t want to stop there.
Remember, you are unique, you are valued and you are a member of an incredibly diverse community where no one judges anyone about anything (apart from maybe their favourite Pokémon) … our society is inclusive and welcoming of everyone … I hope that you all feel welcomed in this society and you feel that it’s a place where you can be yourself.
This year the GeogSoc society has re-affirmed its deep-rooted commitment to fundraising for charitable causes and influencing the local community and has ploughed a tremendous effort into Rally4ShelterBox, which is sure to be a roaring success, much like the many other achievements the society has obtained over the year.
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Most Improved Society of the Year This award is based on the FXU Accreditation Scheme, which provides a consistent standard for benchmarking societies and enables the development of safe, effective and active clubs, based on good practice resulting in high member satisfaction. The shortlisted nominees are:
FXU LGBTQ+ Society The transformation of FXU’s LGBTQ+ Society cannot go unnoticed and has certainly been embraced by its happy and ever-expanding membership. This society could be described as an FXU phoenix, rising from the ashes of what was deemed quite a turmoil time for the society only a few years back, it seems this society has its eyes fixed on success and exceeding expectation and hasn’t ever looked back. This year the committee has continued to do everything in its power to offer one of the most varied and high quality membership experiences available and they can gleefully boast an incredible eight-point increase and a rise in its accreditation status, going from Silver to comfortably achieving Gold.
FXU Pokémon Society The hard work and commitment of the Pokémon Society committee has transformed a relatively small and niche society that met the minimum requirements of FXU affiliation into a thriving, top-performing society within the space of a year. Progress has been so rapid in this society’s development that the society has leapt up the score tables from a Bronze to a Gold in an unprecedented 13-point increase and the society and its members now sit comfortably within top ten highestperforming FXU societies.
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Most Outstanding Society Committee Member This will be awarded to a society committee member who demonstrates an outstanding personal contribution to the organisation and conduct of the society. The shortlisted nominees are:
Jake Dowling (GeogSoc)
Olivia Grainge (Viva Voce)
Jake is described as an exceptional leader; a President who goes above and beyond for his society and its members. Under Jake’s leadership the society has flourished, reaching its highest ever membership engagement, its most successful Freshers and also re-establishing its traditional place at the helm of Rally4ShelterBox.
For some societies committee members are required to take on roles for free that would usually attract a financial reward in the ‘real world’. Such is the case for Viva Voce, who, like most choirs, requires someone to step away from the joy of singing, to commit to the laborious challenge of conducting, organising and preparing rehearsal sessions for its members.
It’s clear to see that Jake’s approachable manner, his commitment and his openness to take on board ideas from other members and his team ethos has led to his success and he is admired for his dedication to his role by staff and students alike.
Fortunately, Olivia is a willing volunteer who dedicates an incredible level of commitment to her work within the society and, at the same time, remains approachable, supportive and well organised, meaning the society has grown and developed its offer to members and continues to be an astounding success.
Robbie Phillips (Eco Soc) It is not often that students can commit to a society committee role for 100% of their student career but sometimes we do encounter exceptions. Robbie is certainly one of them and it seems he has no plans to ease off as he continues into masters level study. Robbie is recognised for his 110% passion and commitment for Eco Soc and its various projects and despite whatever pressures come in his way, his commitment to always going beyond expectation for Eco Soc means he is never afraid of offering to lend a hand to support areas beyond his remit as Treasurer. This year Robbie successfully ran a 200+ attendee Bird Conference, which firmly confirmed his status as one of Eco Soc’s most legendary committee members ever! Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Most Outstanding Society Event or Project of the Year This will be awarded to the society that has demonstrated creativity and enterprise when planning and conducting activities for its members, including trips, activity breaks, fundraising and events. The shortlisted nominees are:
An Evening of Female Empowerment (FXU Islamic Society, FXU Feminist Society and FXU Don’t DisAbility Society) An Evening of Female Empowerment provided a ‘TED-talks’ style opportunity where speakers were able to share personal experiences and thoughts. There was a large push for black and intersectionality, Arab, disabled, trans, queer women speakers were given a safe space to share their thoughts. These were all filmed and the videos were shared on social media to highlight the fantastic women that we should be celebrating and championing.
STORY Falmouth (Christian Union) ‘STORY Falmouth’, ran by Falmouth Christian Union, was a week-long event run across both the Penryn and Falmouth Campuses, designed to fulfil the society aims (to allow every student the opportunity to hear, and to respond to the good news of their faith), and to discover, in a relaxed environment, exactly what the members believe, and in turn, their ‘story’ in becoming Christians.
PG Soc’s Make A Difference Foodbank Appeal (FXU Postgraduate Society) The Postgraduate Society Christmas Foodbank Appeal was a huge success, collecting 264 kg of food and toiletries for the Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank from staff and students across the Penryn and Falmouth campuses. Over 600 individual items of food and toiletries were collected and donated during December, at a time where typically foodbank stocks are low.
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Wild Film Fest (FXU Wild Doc Soc and Eco Soc) Wild Film Fest is a collaborative project between Wild Doc Soc and EcoSoc and in its third year it is attracting bigger and bigger names to present prizes, with attendees travelling from all over the UK. This year it rebranded as the UK’s only big student filmmaking competition, allowing only entries from students/recent graduates, and it was a massive success; the new website and official rules provided a really slick way of getting people across the universities and externally interested in the event. It was a great opportunity to showcase work in front of some really influential people and an amazing opportunity for networking.
Presenting the Sports Awards is sportsman David Follett. In April 2007, David suffered a Road Traffic Accident which left him with a Spinal Cord Injury at C6-C7 and paralysed from the chest down. David has been playing Para-Badminton for eight years, has competed in three world championships and is ranked number 19 in the world in his category and number two in England. David is currently training with the aim of competing at the 2020 Tokoyo Paralympic Games. David is a Level 2 qualified Badminton coach and regularly coaches local after school clubs. In 2008 he helped set up the Devon Racqueteers Wheelchair Badminton Club, which is now the UK’s largest Wheelchair Badminton club.
Sports Person of the Year Sponsored by Booths Print This award will be presented to a current student for outstanding sporting achievement during 2016 - 2017. The shortlisted nominees are:
Jordan Clay Jordan is one of our most decorated athletes; his commitment to long distance running is evident and his mileage is to be admired with constant participation and achievement in regional Westward League, BUCS competitions and representing Cornwall at the National XC Championships. He has had some fantastic results this year including, first Place in the 5000m at the South West Varsity and a third at Half Marathon. Jordan still finds time as Cross Country Team Captain for FXU Athletics to inspire others to take up the sport and offer his guidance on long distance running, building individuals’ confidence. He is idolized by many of the Athletics club, is a great leader and an exceptional athlete.
Menna Dief Menna is a first-year student who excels nationally at fencing; she has represented FXU at BUCS and internationally at several tournaments/ championships, achieving everything up to a bronze medal. Menna has been a driving force for FXU student media to promote both the sport of fencing and the bursary scheme. Menna is currently in the process of setting up an affiliated FXU Fencing Club, which will help spread the knowledge and engagement with the sport amongst the student body.
Olly Smith Despite Olly not playing Volleyball for a long period of time, he has already established himself as a talented individual and an integral part of FXU Volleyball and National League Men’s Kernow team, gaining Man of the Match at the majority of fixtures this year. As Vice President he dedicates his time to training, competitions and more recently as a coach to widen participation, encouraging and inspiring others to become more active and enjoy the sport. He is a well-driven individual and will be taking his skills to Spain to deliver sessions and enhance students’ experience from around the country. Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Most Outstanding Sports Club Committee Member This will be awarded to a sports club committee member that demonstrates an outstanding personal contribution to the organisation and running of the club that ensures success over the academic year. The shortlisted nominees are:
Callum Perry (FXU Tridents American Football) Callum has embraced encouragement from FXU for clubs to get more involved in promoting themselves, by working with the Falmouth Anchor, FXU and students to get new films of players as well as a better online presence. His hard work led to a strong funding application and they are now proactively seeking sponsorship. The new aim of the club to diversify their membership is exactly what FXU is expecting from clubs, reaching out to encourage more female participation and ensuring that all students feel comfortable joining in.
Hanna Wigart (FXU Volleyball Club) Hanna is President of the Volleyball Club and has gone above and beyond what we expect as a committee member. She has proved herself to be organised, good at management and a great leader, with the club’s membership doubling this year. No matter how much is on, Hanna always puts the club first and does so with diligence, engagement and passion; she has not missed one session and is always open to meeting her members on and off the court. It is due to Hanna that the club has been such a success this year as she has led the committee effectively, which has ensured that members are happy and keep returning.
Jamal Clarke (FXU Athletics) As FXU Athletics President, he has built the club from literal non-existence and turned it into an active club on campus in the space of six months. Behind the scenes he has sought grants to gain training equipment, designed kits for his members to represent FXU and organised the club to enter competitions in the South West and nationally at BUCS. He has been committed to club engagement with constant monitoring of each and every athlete to ensure that they work their way to being the best that they can possibly be.
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Competitive Sports Club of the Year This is awarded to the overall best performing sports club of the year (organisation, events, competitions, activities and membership satisfaction). The shortlisted nominees are:
CSM Netball CSM Netball has had an absolutely fantastic year. They have their highest ever number of paid members and developed the competitive nature of the club by adding a weekly fitness session with Cornwall High Performance, which contributed to their 48-10 win at the Bottle Match. They finished the FXU Accreditation table at the top, have secured sponsorship for new kit and the committee have been incredibly proactive this year, particularly with regards to their fundraising activities.
FXU Tremough Quidditch Club The Tremough Quidditch Club has always been active throughout its history in the competitive scope of Quidditch. Each year they participate in the Southern Cup, the British Quidditch Cup, and in between partake in such tournaments as the Compass Cup held in Derby in January 2017. This year they have also participated in the South West League, coming runners up, having only lost one fixture all season.
FXU Volleyball Club FXU Volleyball’s competitive side has seen solid performances from both the Men and Ladies in BUCS and Student Cup. The Men have had their highest finish in the last 16 of the BUCS trophy cup, however the club’s biggest success has come from their membership engagement and inclusivity. Every session two players are nominated to win a prize acknowledging their hardwork, which has meant high turnouts at each session and the club has a record number of members, having doubled to more than 100 in a year.
Kernow Ultimate (Ultimate Frisbee) Ultimate Frisbee is now in its second year participating as a competitive sports team for FXU. They have participated in a record number of tournaments and substantially increased their membership numbers. Some of their competitive achievements include: third place in Div 2 at Nationals for Indoor Uni Mixed team, second at the South West Super Cup Club tournament, submitting their first ever Women’s team to Indoor Uni Regionals and winning the ‘Spirit of the Game’ award at Men’s Indoor Uni Regionals. Appreciate | Nominate | Celebrate
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Non-Competitive Sports Club of the Year This is awarded to the overall best performing sports club of the year (organisation, events, competitions, activities and membership satisfaction). The shortlisted nominees are:
FXU Athletics
FXU Expedition Society
In its first year FXU Athletics have gained 54 members, successfully applied for and received funding from Exeter’s Annual Fund to get equipment to enhance the four sessions they currently have on offer. They have designed their own club vests and hoodies and have also launched their own website.
The club has seen an impressive 167% increase in engagement through their activities compared to 2015/16. The committee has worked together and organised a diverse and thoughtful range of activities from short, less strenuous local walks to long-distance Three-Peak training; from stargazing barbecues on the beach to orienteering competitions against local clubs on the Lizard; from map-reading and navigation workshops to film festivals, and from charitable beach cleaning with The Beach Clean Project to an inaugural caving expedition in Yorkshire.
FXU Dodgeball FXU Dodgeball is a new club this year and is best described by the NGB as ‘the sport for all’. The sessions are all about having fun whilst learning a new sport. The club has intentions to compete in regular league fixtures and has worked towards this by entering two tournaments (one in Bristol and one in Birmingham), finishing first and second respectively, which is remarkable in its first four months of existence, gaining entrance to a league next year.
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FXU Fusion Cheerleading Squad FXU Fusion has had a brilliant year. They have a great relationship with FXU, ensuring that they are involved in all extra opportunities, such as Give It A Go Week and FXYouCan. One of Fusion’s strengths this year is their collaboration with many other FXU affiliated groups; whilst supporting others they are also giving their members a chance to try more activities.
Most Improved Sports Club of the Year This award is based on the FXU Accreditation Scheme, which provides a consistent standard for benchmarking clubs and enables the development of safe, effective and active clubs, based on good practice resulting in high member satisfaction. The shortlisted nominees are:
CSM Netball CSM Netball has been at Gold accreditation for a while, however they have still managed to gain an extra 10 points this year, finishing at the top of the 53 sports clubs. The committee has worked together to further support the development side of the club, add strength and conditioning for the competitive teams, increase the events in the social calendar and held successful charity fundraising events and gained sponsorship for a new kit.
Falmouth Hip Hop Society Following a constitutional name change and the committee members’ eagerness at training, the Hip Hop Societies’ profile has risen immensely. They now have a number of members that regularly attend training, they have relocated to another facility and at the end of each session film their smiling members showing how far they have come in a short space of time. They have gone from Bronze to Silver.
FX Run FX Run’s committee has worked together to develop the club from Bronze to Gold Accreditation in the space of a year. The committee put great care into exploring new routes to provide a variety of regular runs, which has seen their membership triple. They have increased the calendar, including the number of social events, collaboration with a number of FXU Affiliated Groups and been part of a number of FXU campaigns. They have encouraged their members to get involved in community events, i.e. Falmouth Half Marathon and raised more than £1,000 for charity.
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Presenting this Award is Rob Lambert from the National Union of Students (NUS). The National Union of Students (NUS) represents over seven million student voices across the United Kingdom, promoting, defending and extending student rights. NUS fights discrimination, isolation and injustice through campaigning and targeted action, harnessing the power of students through collective and democratic representation.
Outstanding Contribution to the Student Experience This is awarded to the student or member of staff who has most actively given their time to contribute to the student experience. The winner was selected from a shortlist by students. The shortlisted nominees are:
Karen Scott
Russell Barnett
Karen Scott goes above and beyond in the care of her students. As a lecturer Karen has taken a lead on supporting and encouraging students to form their own political views and opinions. She has undertaken this role in a supportive and constructive manner and has encouraged students to participate in discussions and debate, even when this proves challenging to others.
In his three years as a student here, Russell has truly embraced all opportunities that have come his way and often they have been ones that benefit others more than himself. He has been on club and society committees (Expedition, FXU RAD and Nature Watch, to name a few) and has used these roles to truly expand the number of people who get involved with different activities whilst studying here. He has often volunteered with FXU in other ways too, such as working with the marketing team to produce videos and is a champion of all things student-led.
Lisa Burton She not only immerses herself in the activities she loves at university but also actively contributes to the work of FXU and Student Voice. As her role as Student Voice Chairperson for the FXU Leadership Team, Lisa manages to coordinate a rather diverse, bold and unpredictable team of students. She actively contributes to the student experience through the discussion of motions, brought forward by students, and seeking the best direction to best help support all students.
Sophie Gould & Flora Rendell As co-presidents of the Bioscience Employability Committee (BSEC), they have worked incredibly hard this year to organise an excellent seminar series and deliver the biggest CLES Careers Fair yet. They have delivered the importance of employability to the wider student body and organised numerous opportunities for students to network and investigate a range of careers. Their dedication is second to none and both continually go the extra mile to enhance the student experience.
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Presenting this Award is Joff Cooke, the newly appointed FXU CEO. Joff brings a wealth of experience in working with students and students’ unions having held roles at NUS, Plymouth University and Bournemouth University, where his work in the SU has revolutionised student representation. He will work with the newly elected student leadership team at FXU to deliver the strategic plan and develop services and projects to enhance the student experience.
Best Overall Contribution to FXU This is the award for the current student who has most actively given their time to help FXU. The shortlisted nominees are:
Hannah Smith Hannah has been a consistent and positive force for good in the world of fundraising throughout her studies. As RAD President and South West NaSFA Rep, her efforts have enabled the success of an incredible number of students’ fundraising projects and positively promoted the reputation of FXU. Hannah’s enthusiasm and modesty combined make her an incredibly inspiring volunteer – not just to her own community, but to the student fundraising movement.
Mackinlay Ingham Mackinlay is one of the most determined and impressive women you will ever meet. Her ability to successfully manage multiple projects at the same time is remarkable. Not only is Mackinlay the FXU Women’s Officer, she is also founding member of the hugely effective Don’t DisAbility Society. Mackinlay has played an active role in many collaborative events on campus. She has helped promote FXU values publicly through radio interviews and writing national NUS blogs about the benefits of volunteering, being involved in FXU and the power of societies.
Russell Barnett Russell has filmed and edited videos for FXU, including the Sports and Societies Survey promo, Give it a Go Week and Slip and Slide, as well as the opening video for this year’s FXU Awards ceremony. The videos have been instrumental in supporting the work of the FXU Marketing team in promoting key projects and campaigns. In addition, in his own time Russell has been filming and gathering footage of FXU activities for promotional purposes, which will have a great impact in boosting the profile of FXU clubs, societies, and groups.
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Presenting this Award is the Falmouth Town Mayor.
This is an ‘open’ award for students to nominate an individual or group whose efforts haven’t been considered elsewhere. The shortlisted nominees are:
Behind the Scenes Documentaries (Robert Lee and Natasha Plant) BTS Documentaries is a new student-led project that aims to highlight the unseen music world of Falmouth to existing and prospective students. Each year there is feedback from students that they want to know more about music being created by their fellow students and BTS documentaries looks set to be the solution. The two students driving BTS have shown great commitment in successfully getting the project off the ground and it has already gained large traction online with the short promotional videos they have released.
Chloe Zillwood Chloe has successfully created a supportive and empowering Muslim sisters community this year. Regular gatherings and events have helped the sisters grow and feel more confident in their Muslim identity as well as international sisters feel more at home. Her kindness and compassion are truly amazing qualities and have allowed her to offer valuable support to her Muslim sisters. In addition, her efforts as an outstanding Islamic Society committee member have been recognised nationally through a nomination for the FOSIS Best Committee Member.
Hannah Pollock Hannah is an utterly outstanding and inspiring individual. Not only is she Vice President of RAD, achieved her Gold V Team award and supported numerous charities, she has also successfully set up a wildlife conservation organisation called Stand Up for Nature, running bicycle-powered cinema events all over Bristol and more recently on Gylly Beach. Hannah still found time to make a guest lecture for the Biosciences eXfactor and frequently coaches the Kayaking Club.
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Presenting this Award are Sue and Jim Palmer, parents of the late Daniel Palmer. The Daniel Palmer Award is named in memory of a past student who supported and made a positive impact on FXU in many ways.
The Daniel Palmer Award The winner of this award has been selected by the FXU Panel from the winners of all categories, for the most outstanding contribution to the student experience. This recipient of the Daniel Palmer Award will be announced at the FXU Awards Ceremony.
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Thank You! A big thank you to everyone who has made this year’s FXU Awards such a special celebration including: Kelly Doidge, BA(Hons) Interior Design, designer of the FXU Awards 2017 Russell Barnett, editor of our opening video Jack Matthews and team (on-the-night media) The wonderful performances from Saulius Jegelevicius, The Chorus and Viva Voce To everyone who took the time to nominate a group or individual for an FXU award The AMATA Tech AV Team, Rachel and her bar team, Faye Bastian (Conferencing and Events) and Cornwall College catering team To our fantastic sponsors, Booths Print, Cornish Diving School, Williams Travel and the Penryn Campus Sports Centre Our VIP guests for presenting the awards
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