The Community Awards recognised the hard work of UCL’s reps, officers, and Network leaders, but one notable group was missing from the crowd.
Despite there being 18 Hall Community Officers – formerly Hall Reps – just one had been nominated for honours relating to halls of residence at UCL.
Oskar Baltrop, the Hall Community Officer for 109 Camden Road, who recently spearheaded a mass group claim for compensation over “normalised” maintenance problems, was named HCO of the Year as the only nominee in that category. He also won Hall Event of the Year with his “109 Socials”, beating a rival event, also organised by himself.
Asked where the rest of the 17 Hall Reps have gone, Welfare and Community Officer Rachel Lim said: “I think it’s really interesting how we reach out to first-years compared to other years.
“I think we can do a lot more work in terms of how we reach out to [first years] specifically and getting them into the whole awards ceremony — very much a thing you get into second or third year.”
Only five of the 18 Hall Community Officer positions were contested in the October elections, leaving hundreds of first-year residents without democratic representation in their communities.
Lim was also named an Honorary Life Member of the Union alongside Womens’ Officer Elisa de Aragao Bibay.
The awards, held at the Bloomsbury Theatre, recognised student contributions and achievements to their respective communities at UCL. You can find the full list of nominees right here.
Follow The Cheese Grater’s live blog for the latest updates.
Summary
- Disabled Student Network’s Louise Lee wins Network Member of the Year
- Welfare and Community Officer Rachel Lim and Women’s Officer Elisa de Aragao Bibay named Honorary Life Members of the Union
- Big Name on Campus Danilo Paganelli wins Oliver Hare Altruism Award
- London Nightline wins Community Organisation of the Year
- Impact Initiative wins Student-led Project of the Year
- In Aid of UNICEF Society wins Volunteering Society of the Year
- RUMS Women’s Football Club wins Volunteering Club of the Year
- Mature, Part-time, and Carers’ Network wins Network of the Year
- 109 Socials wins Hall Community Event of the Year
- Carson Chan wins Leader in Social Impact Award
- Geneva Virasami wins Commitment to Co-Produced Research Award
- Sustainability Officer Alan Salazar Guerra wins Student Officer of the Year
- Oskar Baltrop wins Hall Community Officer of the Year
Claudia Rueda Muñoz wins Activities Rep of the Year
