This Volunteers Week, we are delighted to recognise the contribution that our alumni volunteers make to the Westminster community through the Westminster Alumni Volunteering Awards.

The Exceptional Support of Students and Recent Graduates Award recognises alumni who go above and beyond to provide professional development support to students and recent graduates, through either one-to-one or group sessions.

And the winners are… 

The winners of the Exceptional Support of Students and Recent Graduates Award are… Ivy Edemafaka (Professional Practice Architecture PG Dip, 2020) and Sam Badcock (Marketing Communications BA, 2020).

Ivy Edemafaka is an architect who graduated from Westminster with her Architecture Postgraduate Diploma Professional Practice in 2020. She now works delivering practical architecture workshops to young people, as well as going above and beyond to support Westminster students.

Ivy has contributed so much to Westminster across many areas. She is a BA Architecture mentor and Part 3 Champion, which has included guest critiquing BA Architecture student projects to provide feedback and suggestions for students returning from their work experience module. She has joined the Westminster Architecture School’s Employability Advisory Board to support the university in preparing students for entering the architecture industry. Through her volunteering for Westminster, Ivy has provided outstanding support for students preparing to complete their studies and enter the industry.

Ivy has also connected her current work as an Engagement Officer for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) with Westminster by facilitating the RIBA x University of Westminster Experience Architecture Workshop that helps sixth form students prepare their portfolios for university and apprenticeship applications.

Speaking about the award, Ivy said: “I am delighted to win the Exceptional Support of Student and Recent Graduate Award. I am very proud to be part of the team at the School of Architecture and Cities at the University of Westminster who are paving the way in bridging the gaps between academia and practice for current and future Architecture students.”

It is Ivy’s support of Westminster students across such an extensive field of voluntary contributions that makes her so deserving of this award; she truly does provide exceptional support.

Sam Badcock works as a social media and content strategist. Since graduating in 2020, Sam has been an incredibly generous and dedicated volunteer for Westminster going above and beyond to facilitate work experience, participate in events, and host the Westminster Working Cultures (WWC) UK June 2022 group.

During his time at Westminster, Sam tried to take all the opportunities available to him to expand his knowledge and experience – including founding a society, running on campus events with industry professionals and participating in WWC Washington DC. Since graduated, Sam has done as much as possible to give back to Westminster.

As well as hosting the WWC UK June 2022 group, Sam was a keynote speaker at the December 2022 WWC Annual Reunion event where he gave an outstanding speech that really captivated the audience. Sam was also part of the ‘What It Takes to Enter the Job Market’ panel, where he shared his experience of entering the world of work as a recent graduate and offered excellent advice to students about to do the same. Sam is always happy to support Westminster, even at late notice, and he has been consistently enthusiastic, dedicated and engaging across all his activities.

Sam has also introduced a work experience opportunity for Westminster students with his employer, Havas People, and hosted students for workshops and lectures at the Havas offices in Kings Cross. Sam has gone above and beyond to contribute to Westminster and help students and recent graduates to take their next steps and thrive.

Speaking about the award, Sam said: “Receiving this award is a privilege; I’ve always found outreach to be important, and the connections I made as part of WWC and the alumni who took the time to meet us, were invaluable, and shaped my graduate journey – it has been a true honour and a blessing to be able to contribute to current student’s Westminster Experiences, and hopefully have an impact on how they view their graduate journeys!”

Congratulations to our Volunteering Awards winners! Find out more about the Alumni Volunteering Awards, and the other winners here.