Every year, students and staff come together for our SU Annual Awards to shine a spotlight on our fantastic community's remarkable achievements and contributions.
Whether they've championed student activism, demonstrated academic excellence, or enriched campus life with their creative events, it's up to you to nominate those who deserve recognition at this year's Annual Students' Union Awards.
2024’s dazzling award ceremony was held on Wednesday, 6 March 2024, in the Fonteyn Ballroom from 19:00. Upon arrival, guests were welcomed with a complimentary drink, miniature pâtisseries and music by the amazing Rose Ingalill. Surely a night to remember, the Awards ceremony commenced at 19:45 and included showstopping performances from Durham University Pole Dance Society, Instep, Durham Musical Theatre Troupe and Durham University Dancesport Team throughout our trophy presentation.
You can check out our social media profiles for updates from throughout the night.
Below, you will find the full list of award categories, shortlisted nominees and winners.
We are so proud to honour those who make Durham truly exceptional.
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Collaborative Event |
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DurHunt: Durham University Women in Tech (within Computing Society) & Mathematical Problem Solving Society
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DurHunt, a collaboration between Durham's Women in Tech and Maths Problem Solving societies, brought together over 60 students for four hours of exciting problem-solving. With challenges ranging from chess to riddles and even a cryptex. Teams were challenged to think outside the box to solve a series of puzzles, leading to the final challenge and, ultimately, the overall prize. The event was free, catered, and open to students from any discipline. It was designed to ensure specialist knowledge was never a barrier to students taking part, and the aim of having fun through an enriching experience was achieved! |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Enrichment Event |
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Ambassador's Programme: Durham Diplomatic Society |
The Durham Diplomatic Society organised this event where students met experienced and high profile diplomats and learnt about the different facets of democracy. This included round table discussions with Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, Kate Ewart-Biggs OBE, the current Minister for State Investment, and many others. Participants heard about issues as diverse as trade relations to cultural diplomacy. Some places the group visited included the British Council, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Royal United Naval Institute and the Centre for Policy Studies giving students access to a broad range of voices and information about modern diplomacy. Finally, a briefing at the Pinsker Centre offered a unique perspective on Middle Eastern politics. The briefing covered a range of topics, providing us with a comprehensive overview of the region's complexities. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best SU Event |
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Myths, Masks & Madness: Durham University Classics Society |
This amazing conference gave students the chance to learn and engage with Greek theatre, and its history. It combined insight from academics, play rights and actors such as Christopher Ecclestone to discuss the role of Greek theatre today and why it’s so important. 20 free tickets were provided via the Classics For All program as part of the group's effort to remove barriers to engagement with the subject. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Campaign |
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Durham Disabilities and Carers’ Association
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Advocating for changes in student support at the University, including extensions and student support officers, the Association have gathered and uplifted student voices to senior University staff. On behalf of the Association, Elisha attended several meetings with PVC Education Tony Fawcett presenting the issues students were facing and the changes they were calling for. "Their work is an excellent example of listening to students and taking tactical and effective steps to create change." |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Fundraiser |
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Durham University Charity Fashion Show |
Motivated to support local charities to maximise the positive impact Durham students have in the community, DUCK has been a terrific example of students coming together across a range of events and causes to contribute and raise funds. These activities included bake sales, paint and sip, clothes swaps, a Live Lounge, Pink Week activities and expeditions across charity partners and other charities. Beneficiaries of Mind, COCO, Heel and Toe Charity, Breast Cancer Now, RSACC Darlington and Durham, Alzheimer's Research UK, Children's Cancer North and Dragonfly Trust and external charity Marie Curie are better off for the work of students stepping up with DUCK this year to make a difference. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Community Impact Award |
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Van Mildert Outreach
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Van Mildert outreach initiatives benefit a range of people in the local community – from activities at local schools to visiting with the elderly to refugees. Student volunteers are consistent and enthusiastic to contribute and build connections with the local community in County Durham. The array of college volunteering projects is amazing, impactful, and engaging for students. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award |
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Durham University Women in Law
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DUWIL should be incredibly proud of the community it has built this year and its commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in everything they do. They held many successful events specially tailored to promote inclusivity within the legal sphere this year. These included the DEI application and experience panel in collaboration with Women in Business, the Mock Assessment centre focused on diversity in the legal workplace. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Volunteer |
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Don Brookes |
Don has worked tirelessly over the last 3 years to improve the housing crisis in Durham. As President of the Tenants' Union, Don has selflessly offered help and advice to students, most notably by providing housing advice for free to all students who email, regardless of whether they are a member. He has also advocated to landlords and estate agents on behalf of students to ensure their tenants' rights are met. He has singlehandedly gained thousands of pounds of compensation for students through this. This has been work that has largely gone unnoticed and he often does not get the credit he deserves but it is hugely appreciated by those he provides help to. He also gave multiple talks across the University, in the SU and colleges on housing rights, the history of housing legislation and how to find a house in Durham which over 150 students have attended. He was also a key figure behind the housing protests and #CutTheRent campaign to reduce the cost of college accommodation. Don has taken all this on, on top of his degree, volunteering at the People's Bookshop and volunteering at a local food bank every week. Without Don, the Tenants' Union would be nothing like the active, inclusive and appreciated society it is now and I cannot think of anyone more deserving for this award. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best New Group |
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Pottery Society
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Pot Soc (as they’re affectionately called) In just 2 terms, Pottery Society has gained over 200 members, ran three sold-out events and organised three socials. “My whole house and I look forward to every event. Being in our third year the creative outlet is a comfort, and we are so grateful to have found a society that doesn’t leave you tired and hungover the next day!" “In an academic environment, the opportunity to be creative in a warm welcoming atmosphere is prized by the students who attend.” |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best Student Group |
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Durham Jewish Society |
This society has grown from having 15 members to having 50 consistently coming to events such as Friday night dinners. As a society, they support Jewish students, ensuring they feel welcomed and included at University whilst collaborating with other societies and organising weekly events.
This year, in particular, they have dealt with some difficult challenges, becoming stronger as a result. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Best SU Group |
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Arthur Holmes Geological Society
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This society makes a huge difference to all students who study Earth Sciences, helping them in all aspects, from talks on career pathways and how it relates to green energy transition to helping members make friends. The group has held many socials open to anyone, aiming to bring together different year groups to improve interdepartmental and interdisciplinary connections. Their Equality, Diversion and Inclusion reps attend department meetings and liaise over EDI issues. And they recently joined the great Durham 6-a-side intersociety football league and held an annual ball! None of these achievements would have been possible without the hard work of our president Mimi and VP Ciara |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Wellbeing Award |
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Nightline |
“They do so much to provide selfless support to students.” Nightline has maintained a confidential and non-judgemental active listening service, providing a space for students to talk through anything they might be experiencing. This service is run overnight when some other support services aren’t available. Nightline has given training to approximately 200 people on the fundamentals of active listening techniques to the wider student community - including freps and college/association welfare officers. This training provides them with skills to help them better support their peers and improve student wellbeing overall. It also includes a section on maintaining wellbeing, which includes self-care, avoiding burnout, setting boundaries, and how to ensure accountability both on a personal and organisational level. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Sustainability Award |
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Lottie Gravelsons
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Lottie is the project manager of DUSVO's Gardening Project which has built relationships with communities around the city by helping them maintain their gardens - both stepping outside the Durham Bubble and contributing to the city's beauty! Lottie is incredibly active, receptive, and willing to help with anything. She is a dedicated volunteer who dedicates her time to supporting the local community and environment and a holder of the DUSVO Platinum award for completing over 140 hours of volunteering at the time of writing. She has also worked with another project, Hedgehog Friendly Durham, to organise litter picks around the city. |
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
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Contribution to Academic Life |
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Daisie Ellis
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Daisie has been supporting students through their academic experiences from pre-University and applicants, to advocating for other students.
Student Staff Consultative Committees (SSCC)
Member providing valuable feedback to the Chemistry department on the accessibility of teaching activities and highlighting good practice. Such as emphasising the importance of teaching staff using visualisers instead of whiteboards to boost the engagement of students who need to rewatch on encore.
Chemistry department’s EDI committee and diversifying and decolonising the curriculum group.
Daisie has raised the need for disability representation in the department and now contributes to the EDI blog on disability visibility and tips for freshers and how reasonable adjustments work in the industry – which is valuable for industrial placement students and those seeking internships. She is currently working with the committee chair on organising a disability coffee morning; a forum for chemists to discuss what changes would help boost their engagement in academic life.
Daisie has also provided information to autistic students, delivering a talk on debunking academic terminology, describing what lectures and tutorials are like, how labs are laid out and how to ask for reasonable adjustments, driving forward a culture of removing the stigma from disability. She is now working on a neurodiversity guide as part of the department’s academic induction – using those same descriptions and providing the perspective of a neurodivergent student and how to tackle the change to University life.
Daisie is helping students to engage much faster with their studies and signposts to support where there may be struggles. Daisie works the University open days and post-offer visit days, providing a student perspective on academic life to incoming chemists.
Durham Disability and Carers Association (DDaCA)
Co-leading the campaign on reforming the University’s extensions policy and enhancing the SSO structure –ensuring that students have access to their rights for reasonable adjustments and to engage with academic life effectively.
Castle JCR
Student peer support and active listening on the welfare committee.
Daisie’s leading by example has had a continued positive impact on students in the University, both through encouraging them to engage with opportunities and by consistently being a role model and advocate and is an example of excellent student leadership.
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Award |
Shortlisted |
Winner |
Summary |
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Student Experience Champion |
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Karl Southern |
Karl has emerged as an integral part of the Computer Science faculty and wider community here at Durham. From his years as a practical demonstrator, transitioning seamlessly to his current position within the department, he creates a welcoming atmosphere and works hard to ensure students can get the most out of their time here, both academically and in the broader Durham community. As well as supporting the Computing Society more widely with their events, Karl has been involved with DurHack for eight years now, and has grown from his role as an organiser during his time as a student to a mentor always willing to share his knowledge and advice, who goes above and beyond to support each year’s set of organisers and volunteers. |
