The annual Volunteer of the Year Awards is a time to come together as a community and recognise the efforts of our amazing volunteers at The University of Manchester. Celebrating the very best of volunteering, the awards give our University and our community partners the opportunity to recognise those who epitomise what it means to make a difference. This year there were two individual categories: student and alumni, and one group category for students.
This year’s inspirational winners are:
Student Winner – Hannah Walton
Alumni Winner – Rita Robert Otu
Student Groups Winner – Peaches Womb Cancer Trust
This year’s first-place winners set up projects to support a range of social issues.
Student Winner Hannah Walton’s project aims to tackle the concerning amount of young people leaving education due to mental health difficulties, encouraging positive mental health action for underprivileged and underrepresented students. Alumni Winner Rita Robert Otu’s project focuses on empowering and upgrading the livelihoods of rural women and girls in Nigerian communities through agriculture and nutritional awareness. While Peaches Womb Cancer Trust, our Student Groups Winner, help to improve the lives of those affected by womb cancer, raising awareness on a national level, and supporting patients both online and in person.
A massive congratulations to all this year’s nominees and winners!

Take a look and get inspired by the stories of our past winners.