Meet the winners of the 2022 Volunteer of the Year Awards

After two years of digital ceremonies, the University’s volunteering team returned on Tuesday 10 May with their Volunteer of the Year Awards at Whitworth Hall. The event celebrates the incredible actions of volunteers from across the University.

Discover more about each of our amazing winners from staff, alumni, student group and student categories:

Overall Prize Winners

  • Staff Category: Dr Florian Walter

Dr Florian Walter is a Lecturer in Nursing. He volunteers for an online crisis helpline called Shout, supporting those who are struggling to cope. Florian goes above and beyond by often volunteering through the night and choosing shifts at the busiest times for the service, including at Christmas and New Year.

  • Alumni Category: Barnaby Weston

Barnaby completed a BA in History and American Studies. He is one of the founders of Football for Future, a charity with a mission to build a more environmentally sustainable culture in English football. This has included partnerships with huge names including Premier League clubs, Nike, and the footballer, Mason Mount.

  • Student Groups Category: Student Angels

The Student Angels won for their night-time street safety initiative. This incredible group of volunteers work closely with the City Council and police to support their peers and the wider community. Their trained student volunteers and student shift leads, venture out on weekends between 10pm and 4am to keep nights out in Manchester safe by providing first aid and a listening ear.

  • Student Category: Robert Cartwright-Speakman

Medical Sciences student Robert, volunteers at a university, local and national level on widening participation projects. He runs outreach sessions on how to get into medicine, has developed a ‘Future Medic’ curriculum for schools and is the north-west lead for a national charity called AIMS Guide, mentoring students on a one-to-one basis. If that wasn’t enough, he is also a Student Liaison Officer for the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, which provides financial support and advice to medical students and doctors.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who nominated and watched this year’s awards.