Essex SU wins place on national awards shortlist

Essex Students' Union is on the shortlist for SU of the Year at the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2024. This means this is the sixth year in a row that our Students’ Union has been ranked in the top 10 nationally.

The WhatUni Student Choices Awards are compiled based on responses from thousands of university students across the UK and this latest success recognises continued excellence by the Students’ Union in the way that they represent, support and provide for students in their time at the University of Essex.

“We are incredibly proud to be shortlisted for this prestigious award and it’s so rewarding to see our incredible student members and the hard work of our SU staff recognised in this way” said Kieran Phillips, Students’ Union President. “For students to vote us into the top 10 is amazing, especially for the sixth year in a row, and I could not be prouder of this achievement.”

Being shortlisted for the SU of the Year Award continues an excellent track record for the organisation and helps recognise a number of recent successes for the Students’ Union including:

• Working with the University to provide financial support for students during the Cost of Living crisis, including the agreement of an unprecedented package of support totalling more than £2.5m
• Being recognised in the National Student Survey as one of the best Students’ Unions in the country for the quality of the academic representation it provides to Essex students
• Being the first Students’ Union to receive the prestigious King’s Award for Volunteering, the highest honour available for voluntary organisations in the UK
• Providing a sector-leading welcome and induction programme for Essex students that helped thousands of students settle and make friends, and led to 97% of first-year students saying they felt welcomed to the University of Essex
• Achieving Essex’s highest-ever ranking in the national BUCS Sports League tables, thanks to the performances of our brilliant students in our Essex Blades Sports Teams
• Running an unmatched calendar of student events encompassing everything from the famous SU Fireworks Display attended by 5,000 students to our series of intimate SU Makes events that allow students to make crafts at the same time as making new friends