The annual Scottish Student Sports Awards took place on Wednesday 12th June at Stirling Court Hotel, where eight deserving recipients were rewarded for their commitment over the season.
Amongst those eight recipients, were two student volunteers who have dedicated an exceptional amount of time to facilitating sport for students. The work of student volunteers cannot be underestimated across the Scottish University and College network, where nearly all events, competitions and activities are student lead and run.
From event workforce volunteers, to University and College sports club committee roles, to Student Sport development groups, there is an endless amount of volunteer roles for students to undertake and without these vital people the student sport calendar would not take place. Balancing studies while participating in sport and physical activity is often tough enough, but those who take on the extra volunteer roles are giving up much of their spare time in order to ensure that their fellow students get the most out of their student sport journey.
Volunteer of the Year: Tom Stewart (University of St. Andrews)
There aren’t many jobs Tom doesn’t do in the footballing world at Saints Sport. This year he took on the roles of United Colleges Amateur Football Manager, Receational Coach, Sunday Leagues Coordinator, 2nd Team Player/Coach, and Club Vice-President.
He led twice weekly rec training sessions, and created a club buddy scheme for new members. Supporting athletes at every level of the sport has been his passion, which saw Tom develop a pathway for lover team players to progress across multiple squads.
His popular Sunday league and 6-a-side matches boosted participation, and also supported multiple charity initiatives with over £4.5k raised. His week-in-week-out dedication is unrivaled and his passion for the club and sport is clear for all to see.
Dr Rob Macpherson Award: Aonghus Sellar (SS Football)
The Dr. Rob Macpherson Award is a special one for Scottish Student Sport – honouring a remarkable man, while celebrating the incredible work that volunteers do to keep our sports and events running throughout the year.
The recipient for this year has been instrumental in reshaping the image and success of SS Football’s digital presence. Aonghus has put tireless work into reporting on student activities from across Scotland, and doing in-depth research into the history of our competitions to reach a new generation.
Despite being in a new full-time role, Aonghus has no hesitation about using holidays to support, and this season he attended all Conference Finals, plus our Men’s and Women’s Football Finals – even though they took place on separate days!
Aonghus has been a consistent and enthusiastic communicator with the clubs and as he steps up to the Chair role for 2024/25, we can’t wait to see what he has planned to help grow the sport over the coming year.
