Exeter Students up for national award

The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held in London on 12 June.

The Participation Award recognises students’ unions that have increased the levels of involvement of their local students, through elections, democratic participation and clubs and societies.

Earlier this year, the Guild recorded a record-breaking turnout in their sabbatical elections. A total of 4776 students voted, representing 34% of the student population. This is a 7% increase on the highest turnout recorded nationally last year and is better than the 33.8% turnout for the 2008 Haltemprice & Howden by-election where David Davis was elected MP for the Conservative Party. The average turnout for students’ union elections is just 13.8%, according to the National Union of Students (NUS).

“To get short-listed for an award such as this is vindication of the sheer commitment and hard work shown by each and every Guild staff member. There is fundamentally no better indicator of student union staff success than positively impacting on student lives to a level not only recognised in awards but by students themselves,” says Guild President John Cox.

“It’s fantastic to be nominated for the NUS Participation Award and to have the great contributions of our students recognised,” says Laura Johns, Deputy President of the University of Exeter Students’ Guild.

“Participation has gone from strength to strength across all areas of Guild activity. To be nominated for this award is a great tribute to our students,” adds Francesca Litchfield, Welfare and Equal Opportunities Officer at the Guild.

NUS President Wes Streeting said: “The NUS Awards are a unique opportunity to demonstrate the successes of students and the valuable contribution they make to their fellow students, university or college and the wider community.