Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award

Nomination by Carl Longmore:

Luke is a BAME graduate of sport studies where I met him originally when I was a masters student myself doing some visiting lecturer work. He has since gone on to form his own charity dedicated to raising awareness of various forms of child exploitation including county lines and knife crime. The REAL project has developed projects, involving more than 20 schools, enlisting the help of his nephew who was previously involved in county lines (County Lines is where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another, often across police and local authority boundaries (although not exclusively), usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs). Eventually, the REAL project grew into a range of resources/activities aimed at capturing the experiences of those who have experienced child exploitation and the various areas it encompasses. This project was later commissioned by Walsall Police and Crime Commissioners Unit and he has been invited to discuss his organisation in Parliament. Luke has since returned to the University with associated organisations to deliver at our learning conferences to support trainee teachers in understanding child exploitation and he has even donated his education packs to our courses for free. He has developed one of the first free to play mobile phone apps designed to educate youth and adolescent groups on how children are groomed for exploitation. Luke is a credit to the community.

Nomination by Margaret Walsh:

Sean would be a very worthy winner of the Alumni Volunteer of the Year. He has been hugely supportive of careers and employability initiatives. He has provided class talks at the University, including during the pandemic, which have always received excellent feedback. Students have found these talks to be inspirational and several students have considered a career at the Crown Prosecution Service as a result. Sean has ensured that the CPS offer work experience to our students, and he has also taken time to mentor students, which has been extremely beneficial to their careers and led to some students gaining positions at the CPS. He has provided a case study for the University and featured in a law alumni wall promotional display in the Wolverhampton Law School, which provides inspiration to current students on their education journey. In addition, Sean has featured in the annual alumni Life magazine and has been a generous supporter with his time acting as a member of the University's Alumni Advisory Board, something which he is extremely passionate about. Sean has expressed a desire to form a law alumni association in the future and to be involved in its running. These numerous examples are testament to Sean's dedication to the University and to his passion to assist students to reach their potential. Sean is an exceptional role model and  ambassador for the University and the Law School. Sean's loyalty and hard work in assisting the University is justly recognised by this award nomination.

Nomination by Chima Vistor Kalu (self):

Chima oversees the Nigerian Chapter of the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Association dedicating hundreds of hours of his time voluntarily to support and promote the work of the University in his home country. He is responsible for making sure that all members are held together regardless of the peculiar situation of the multi-cultural and ethnic diversities of Nigerian society, and he serves as the first point of contact for alumni in-country. He also sits as an active member on the University's Alumni Advisory Board.