Green and Gold recognised at the 2024 BUCS Awards
The University of Nottingham were shortlisted for several awards at the 2024 BUCS Awards Dinner, hosted on Thursday 18th July at the University of Warwick.
Published 17 Jul 2024
Yet again, the #GreenandGold have excelled across the board and to be shortlisted for 5 out of 13 awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication of students, staff, and volunteers at the University of Nottingham.
Over the course of the evening, the University of Nottingham won 2 awards; Workforce Development Award and EDI Award.
The event celebrated the achievements of a variety of people including student athletes, both individual and teams, who have excelled in their respective sporting endeavours, as well as those volunteers and administrators who have gone above and beyond to progress the sports provision of their institution of sport.
University of Nottingham 2023 BUCS Award Winners
Workforce Development Award – Black Sport Collective
UoN Sport’s ambition is to have 66% of students engaged in our programmes and that demographics are proportionately represented. Following analysis, we recognised that to achieve this we needed to improve our understanding of the perceptions and experiences of UoN Sport from Black students as well as the barriers they face. Research conducted identified 3 main barriers: Cost, Culture and Representation. Students identified that there was insufficient diversity in UoN students, staff and promotional materials and 21% reported lack of belonging within UoN Sport.
The Black Sport Collective (BSC) volunteers have helped to increase engagement in sport from Black students by 63%, compared to 22/23. Delivering over 1,500 voluntary hours the volunteers have been responsible for delivering a range of interventions including a Real Talk series, BSC Does and Games Night.
The BSC is driven by a team of 30 volunteers and 2 paid ambassadors. 100% of BSC volunteers identify as Black or Black/Mixed. This year the BSC volunteers have delivered 1,500 voluntary hours. The volunteers have been responsible for delivering a range of interventions to increase engagement from Black students in UoN Sport programmes.
Being a part of the BSC has truly been a blessing and I’m happy I am able to contribute to building an environment where uncomfortable conversations can be had in order to generate progress for the Black community in the sporting world.
Black Sport Collective Member
EDI Award – UoN Sport
Our work with disabled, Black and LGBTQIA+ students this academic year has had a positive impact in helping to change perceptions and driving up engagement for these groups by over 70% combined.
Analysis identified that there was under-representation in engagement from Black, disabled and LBTQIA+ students. The aim has been to embed these 3 strands and encourage a more inclusive approach to delivery across our programmes.
To name to a few successes from the programmes;
- 42% increase in engagement in supported fitness sessions, and 1,100 disabled students accessing UoN Sport fitness classes
- 63% increased engagement from black students with UoN Sport programmes
- Produced a video series recognising and celebrating our LGBTQIA+ student community, which has been viewed over 320,000 times
Runners Up
Club of the Year – Thai Boxing
The University of Nottingham Thai Boxing club grew by over 100 members this year to be one of the largest clubs at UoN with approximately 320 members regularly attending sessions. The club has achieved this by implementing inclusive and welcoming strategies to make new members feel safe and supported in a sport that could otherwise seem daunting and inaccessible.
The club ran a series of ‘Society Events’ which engaged seven non-sporting university societies to participate in Thai Boxing sessions.
The club also introduced women-only sessions to address the underrepresentation of women in the sport. They consistently reached capacity at these sessions with at least 30 women attending every week during term. This has also greatly impacted attendance by female-identifying students at the general club open sessions.
Coach of the Year – Matt Taylor
This season has been an unimaginably challenging year for University of Nottingham’s Ladies First Team with the tragic loss of first team player Grace O’Malley Kumar. In the wake of this devastating loss, keenly felt by Grace’s teammates, club mates and coaches, Matt played a central role in supporting those around him, in spite of his own personal anguish at losing a bright and personable star.
Matt established a holistic culture of support with sessions for Grace’s teammates and colleagues to come together, to chat, to grieve and to process. He protected his players from the intense and relentless media attention which followed Grace’s death. He also fostered and supported Grace’s family who have openly thanked him for his support in helping them through the most difficult period of their lives.
This loss is more than anyone should have to bear, and Matt undertook actions beyond the scope or job plan of any coach. To those that know Matt, we know that these actions were taken swiftly and sincerely to protect and support his players, even in the gravest of circumstances.
Matt brought us back to the hockey pitch we all once shared with Grace, and we have all done amazingly well. He has always been there for support, available for a call whenever you need him and whenever you are struggling, he is always someone you can go to for a meeting to see if he can help.
UoN Ladies' Hockey 1st Team Senior Player
Dan Porter Award – Lewis Evans
Lewis is a disabled student athlete who fell out of love with sport & struggled with severe depression & addictive behaviours. He’s since become President & Captain of UoN Wheelchair Basketball Club, championed mental health & inclusive sport, & become part of the GB Wheelchair Rugby Talent Pathway.
This year, Lewis has been a rock for the Wheelchair Basketball Club, and for inclusive sport at the University of Nottingham. On court he is an athlete who, while having a more severe impairment than most in the club, has driven those around him to work harder and become better athletes.
His drive and the positive example he set has meant the club provides a welcoming and supportive environment for new members, both from within UoN and the wider Nottingham community, as well as help push levels on court, culminating in captaining the club to silver at BUCS Big Wednesday.
Joe Bestwick, Wheelchair Basketball Head Coach & Club Development Officer
Everyone at University of Nottingham Sport would like to extend a huge congratulations to everyone in the #GreenandGold family on their well-deserved nominations and award wins! We would also like to acknowledge everyone involved in helping to make 2024 another magnificent year for sport at the University of Nottingham - from players and coaches to operational and support staff - thank you!
Notes for editors
University of Nottingham are the 2024 Times and Sunday Times and Daily Mail Sporting University of the Year. Health and wellbeing are a huge part of life here and we have a proud history of success at all levels. To find out more about our offer and how you could support our work, please email sport@nottingham.ac.uk or click here.