STUDENTS at University of Limerick contributed almost 50,000 hours of volunteer work in their local communities over the past year.
It comes as the students involved were awarded recently for their volunteering efforts, which have been described as a “profoundly rewarding experience”.
In a special ceremony held as part of the annual UL President’s Volunteer Award (PVA), 797 students from across the university were recognised for their individual contributions to a combined 47,123 hours of registered volunteer work.
Students were presented with gold, silver, bronze, and Plassey medals in acknowledgement of their hours dedicated to voluntary work, having engaged in mentoring, fundraising, and coaching across everything from international projects to environmental initiatives.
Among the almost 800 students receiving medals at the event were this year’s Student Volunteers of the Year – five students who were specially recognised for their outstanding dedication to volunteering in the community.
Special awards went to Cora Rooney, a high-performance swimmer, who is part of Swim Ireland’s National Centre Limerick squad, Óran Fleming, an immersive software engineering student from Limerick, Jack Comber, from Limerick, a current pharmaceutical and industrial chemistry student, Oluwadara Alabi, from Nigeria, who completed a staggering 112 volunteering hours over the past year while undertaking an MSc in human nutrition and dietetics, and Sean Byrnes, a undertaking business studies.
UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins applauded the hard work and dedication of each and every student volunteer receiving their medal at the ceremony.
“The President’s Volunteer Award stands as a powerful testament to the spirit of generosity, leadership, and civic responsibility that defines our student community at University of Limerick. Through nearly 50,000 hours of service, our students have not only enriched the lives of others but have deepened their own understanding of empathy, resilience, and purpose,” said Professor Kilcommins.