The second annual Good for Me Good for FE Awards has taken place at the House of Lords, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of staff and students from Further Education (FE) colleges across the UK.
This year’s awards, sponsored by NCFE with prizes provided by FE Associates, highlighted the exceptional impact of the Good for Me Good for FE campaign.
Since its launch in 2021, it has united 150 colleges nationwide and generated millions of pounds of social value through remarkable volunteering and fundraising efforts. This includes the collection of hundreds of thousands of items for foodbanks.
Proceedings were led by editor of FE Week, Shane Chowen and London South East Colleges’ Head of Student Engagement, Shakira Martin. The event was hosted by The Baroness Barran MBE, who welcomed guests to the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords. She said:
“I am absolutely honoured to be here today, to celebrate the quite remarkable contributions that people across the FE sector make to their communities. Each finalist is incredibly inspiring and extremely deserving of this national recognition - huge congratulations and thank you to you all.”
Attendees, who included members of the judging panel, together with the winners, their guests and college principals, enjoyed an afternoon tea. Each judge presented the award for their category, reading out citations for each of the three finalists - and announcing the winner.
The award categories included individual awards, such as Individual Fundraiser of the Year and Inspirational Role Model of the Year and team awards including Team Fundraiser of the Year and Project of the Year.
The prestigious Overall Winner award was chosen by Awards Patron, Baroness Nicky Morgan, and announced by Baroness Barran. It was jointly presented to Suzanne Richards and Aimee Garratt for their resilience and transformative fundraising initiatives. Special recognition was also given to LSEC’s Wellbeing Wednesday Lunches.
Speaking at the event, Dr Sam Parrett CBE, co-founder of Good for Me Good for FE and Group CEO of London South East Colleges said:
"These awards showcase the incredible impact of the FE sector in supporting its communities and generating social value. The contributions of our students and staff are a powerful reminder of the difference we can make together.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has helped make this event possible, including Baroness Barren for hosting us, our sponsors, judges and colleges – as well as our amazing finalists and winners.
“Congratulations to you all. The stories we have heard today are truly inspiring and we are delighted to celebrate and honour your achievements in this beautiful setting."
The closing words for the special event were provided by Nicole Mundondo, Student President and Governor at London South East Colleges. She thanked guests and congratulated the finalists and winners.
Abigail Daly from City College Plymouth was named as Inspirational Role Model of the Year, judged by David Hughes. As an autistic student, Abi has overcome many personal challenges to become a UK Youth Ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh Award after achieving her Gold award. She is committed to advocating for other SEND students and championing inclusivity. She said:
“I am really pleased to win this award. I raise awareness about autism to help other people understand. This is really important to me as I know how hard it can be.”
Rob Stevenson, a Protective Services Tutor at Burton and South Derbyshire College, was presented with the Outstanding Long Service Award for Volunteering. Having been a community responder for 14 years, he has saved many lives – while encouraging and inspiring his students to volunteer, fundraise and help others. He said:
“I am very humbled to receive this award. I am so passionate about supporting my community and it really is wonderful to be recognised in this way. In my teaching role, my students see me volunteering – and get the opportunity to have different experiences at the ambulance station as part of their courses. This means there is a direct link between my job and my role as a volunteer, which is fantastic. Volunteering is a great thing to do and if you want to find time to do it, then it’s always possible!”
The award for Volunteering College Co-Ordinator of the Year was won by a cross-college team - The ‘Good for Me Good for FE Accreditation Focus Group’. This comprises four colleges (Nottingham, Loughborough, East Coast and South Eastern Regional College) who are supporting the development of a new volunteering accreditation, in partnership with the GfM campaign, NCFE, Learning Vault and Navigate.
This will enable people to have their efforts recognised, reflecting the employability skills that social impact work helps to develop. Hannah Richardson, the Social Action Project Lead at Nottingham College is part of this group and said:
“I am delighted that our cross-college team group has been recognised for the collaboration we have created across the sector. The great thing about the Good for Me Good for FE campaign is that it recognises what people in FE are already doing – we serve our communities in so many ways. These awards shine a light on the people who do so much for others, and it is great to be part of that.”
Aimee Garrett from Dudley College was announced as both joint winner of the Individual Fundraiser of the Year and joint overall winner. In memory of her son Ronnie, she founded the charity ‘Ronnie and Friends’, raising over £24,000 for a bereavement suite at Russell’s Hall Hospital. Aimee’s remarkable resilience, compassion and tireless drive to support others was recognised by judges. She said:
“No one talks about baby loss and after losing my own son Ronnie, I wanted his life to make a difference and to help other people who sadly go through this. The college I work for has been amazingly supportive, allowing me to educate our community about baby loss and raise awareness of it - as well as leading by example and supporting bereaved parents. Student have also come together to help spread this message, which is just amazing.”