2020 winners and shortlist

Generosity of Spirit Individual Award

Winner: Freya Startup

Administrator - Wellbeing, Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"In the Disability Service, we work with hundreds of students with a huge range of needs, across their whole university experience. Freya has the ability to hold all of these different threads in her mind, to think about the needs of all students, whilst always appreciating and respecting the unique situation and potential of every individual."

Hada Moreno

Business and External Engagement Administrator, Oxford Brookes Business School

"Hada dedicates herself to her work and colleagues with amazing enthusiasm. She is indefatigable, with no thought of personal reward, but only with the drive to make other people happy. Last Christmas, she organised a ‘warm clothing’ collection amongst staff for La Bestia migrants in Mexico, which she personally delivered."

Jayne Golsby

Head of Residential Services, Directorate of Estates and Campus Services

"Jayne is always looking for opportunities to contribute. During the Covid-19 crisis she offered to help deliver supplies to vulnerable residents, arranged for leftover bags of pasta to be provided to students in halls and also offered to help a local community group recruit volunteers for their projects. She is a true pillar of strength and support."

Tony Bosher

Security Officer, Directorate of Estates and Campus Services

"Tony works on the gate to the car park at the Clerici Building. He welcomes most visitors to the University and prides himself on getting to know colleagues, governors and students. He helps colleagues and others find parking spaces, and especially supports those with disabilities to get on to campus. He is very caring and does a great job."

Generosity of Spirit Team Award

Winner: Student Central Advice Team

Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"The Student Central Advice Team are an incredible force of nature, providing information and advice about a massive range of issues. They reassure students when they're feeling vulnerable, appease them when they're feeling angry, and link up with other teams in the University, to put students in touch with the right people. Most importantly, they do this in a friendly, welcoming way, reassuring students that they can come back and ask again, next time they have a question."

Residential Outdoor Course Team

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

"The team consistently brings energy, enthusiasm and professionalism to the course, which is always very challenging due to the weather and the activities such as climbing and abseiling. Team members go out of their way to ensure all the students have the very best experience."

Confidence Individual Award

Winner: Louise Hunter

Programme Lead in Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

"Louise has been an inspirational and visionary leader of change...she has led our team fantastically well, bringing us all together to focus on our aim of delivering an excellent midwifery course. The most incredible thing about Louise's leadership is her confidence in her team to deliver to the best of our ability. She is really keen for all of us to develop our own strengths and skills, and supports us to do so."

Kate Alderton-Smith

Customer Services Team Leader (User Services), Directorate of Learning Resources

"Kate's belief in other people empowers them to be confident in their work, decision-making and ideas. She has been a key supporter in developing wellbeing activities for students and staff over the past 18 months. She is always full of suggestions, but also willing to listen and encourage others to pursue their ideas especially if it enhances the student or staff experience."

Spring Zhang

Deputy Director - Confucius Institute, Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

"Spring’s presence has enabled us to grow and succeed. When colleagues suggest introducing new workshops like Chinese Brush Painting and Chinese Songs, Spring has always encouraged them to create a proposal, working with them, and attending the workshop itself to offer support."

Tamsin Crabb

Head of Student Support Services, Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"Tamsin has taken the lead in the Covid-19 responses, triaging pandemic forms, contacting students and co-coordinating her services to ensure that service delivery is successful whilst working remotely, and that students feel supported wherever they are in the world."

Confidence Team Award

Winner: The Paramedic Science Group

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

"In response to the pandemic, the Paramedic Science Group, in a remarkably short time, worked in close collaboration with South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to organise and release into the temporary workforce, over 30 Paramedic Learning students. The SCAS Senior Education Manager thanked them, stating, “We deal with several partner Higher Education Institutions and throughout this entire situation, Oxford Brookes University have stood head and shoulders above others. You have really ‘flown the proverbial flag’."

Student Community Warden Team Leaders

Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"Casey and Roz do not hesitate to speak up at residents’ meetings and their confidence shines through when they are out on shifts, stepping in eagerly to help resolve tensions that sometimes occur between residents and students. It is truly fantastic how they interact with the local community, students and staff alike."

School of the Built Environment Admin Support

Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

"The team has pulled together to provide a highly effective and friendly service to academic staff despite changing systems and extended staff leave due to injury, illness and maternity. They have all stepped up to cover each other's work when necessary, providing us with a very effective service accompanied always with a smile."

Student Transition and Engagement Team

Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"It is reassuring to know that such capable and kind colleagues are instrumental at such an important moment in students' university experience as they begin their lives at Oxford Brookes, and it makes life easier for other professional and academic staff too."

Connectedness Individual Award

Winner: Jayne Stuart

Graphic Designer, Directorate of Learning Resources

"Jayne is always incredibly inclusive of all voices within our community, most recently demonstrated in her adoption of the Progress pride flag in the branding of LGBTQ+ History Month 2020. She is pivotal to creating the sense of community that makes Brookes an enjoyable, inclusive place to work for so many."

Craig Prosser

Lecturer in Music Performance, Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

"As Lecturer in Performance, Craig is an integral part of the music team. In addition to many other projects and events, he has rebuilt the University Choir and Orchestra and developed them into serious performance forces. These have helped to put Brookes on the map and make the University more "audible" in the city and beyond."

Lisa Hill

Graphic Designer and Digital Media Developer, Directorate of Learning Resources

"Lisa is a positive dynamo of innovative and imaginative ideas and successfully translates these into practical activities that are fun and positive experiences. Just one example is the Positivity Tree she designed, which provided a space for students to note down their tips for working well and keeping mentally positive during exams."

Nina Epellé

Faculty Marketing Officer, Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"Nina is a passionate and vocal advocate of equality, diversity and inclusion. As Co-Chair of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff network committee she assisted in drawing up a comprehensive communications strategy for our BAME events during Black History Month 2019. Nina has also organised a series of speakers to deliver inspirational talks to support our members’ emotional, mental and professional wellbeing."

Connectedness Team Award

Winner: Security Team

Directorate of Estates and Campus Services

"Working closely with students, the team has run a number of collaborative campaigns, with the community engagement team, police and Brookes Union, such as during arrivals and moving out. They have also launched the ‘Going home for Christmas’ campaign to encourage students in the private rented sector to think about protecting their property. They worked with us and the police to deliver over 150 light timer switches to almost 200 student houses."

UK Partnerships and Apprenticeships Team

Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"This is a new team that has made huge steps to help the apprenticeship provision at Oxford Brookes thrive! By building strong links with employers in the local and wider community and successfully promoting the apprenticeship portfolio, the team have supported the recruitment of 350+ apprentices to date."

Joint Humanities and Social Sciences and Criminology Team

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

"Rarely have I seen such full-hearted commitment to making a success of a new placement module, and to ensuring that the students got the best possible experience out of it. The connectedness between Tom, Maria and Hazel (and our placement providers) is an excellent example of teaching colleagues and professional services staff working together towards a shared goal."

Enterprising Creativity Individual Award

Winner: Laura Baldock

Humanities and Social Sciences Events and Public Engagement Officer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

"Laura has project-managed the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Think Human Festival twice - first in 2018 and recently in February 2020. Laura has provided valuable input, ideas and creativity, acting also as our link with marketing, web and social media. The time Laura has spent working on each festival far outweighs her weekly hours, demonstrating her high level of commitment to the project."

Gareth Brown

Head of Customer Services, Directorate of IT Services

"Gareth has been instrumental in designing new services and adapting existing services to accommodate for the rapidly changing IT requirements of staff and students during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. This has included allowing students to undertake exams remotely, to continue with their coursework and assignments and to allow those without devices to access remotely available teaching materials."

Marc Slatter

Partnerships and Placements Administrator, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

"Marc used his enterprising creativity to create an excellent, bespoke placement database for the School of Education - a feat that went beyond his pay grade and job description. Marc incorporated every possible feature into his new system that the team requested, and then gave one-to-one training to everyone. He did all this alongside his regular job as Placements Administrator."

Maxine Fletcher

Head of Department of Psychology Development, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

"During the pandemic, Max has worked exceptionally hard to create a web page to support the Professional Practice HLS students and also elected to take care of a separate inbox for students encountering issues within practice. She goes above and beyond to ensure that students in practice during these exceptionally difficult times are getting the support they need. I am proud to work alongside her on this."

Enterprising Creativity Team Award

Winner: Campus Services

Directorate of Estates and Campus Services

"The entire Campus Services team works tirelessly behind the scenes, often at short notice, ensuring that the University not only always looks the best that it can, but also enabling departments and faculties to deliver."

Marketing and Communications Operations Team

Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"What has impressed me most has been the exemplary way in which the team have enthusiastically taken on the challenge to keep staff connected and engaged during the coronavirus crisis. Their amazingly creative approaches included an exciting weekly quiz, and sessions such as Move Mondays, Tune-in Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays, Treat Thursdays and Flower Fridays. The activities are enticing and suit a variety of interests - so everyone can join in."

Colleague of the Year

Winner: Jon Reid

Senior Lecturer in Child Development and Special Educational Needs/Inclusion, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

"Watching Jon teach has been a joy: he is generous with his time and with his attention to students' opinions: this allows his students to voice concerns, and to raise questions. And while his expertise is evident, he is sensitive enough to ‘take a back seat’ when he sees the need."

Grace Elliott

Partnerships and Apprenticeships Administrator, Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"Grace demonstrates how much impact an apprentice can make to a team. She's such a positive 'can do' person who learns so quickly, and delivers work to an extremely high standard. Her work ethic, organisation and time management skills are truly impressive. She delivers so much to contribute to and support the team, and we all love working with her."

Maritza Miranda-Pachon

Head of Reporting and Analysis, Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"Maritza led and delivered the complex Academic Framework project across the institution. Undeterred, passionate and determined to succeed, Maritza set about leading this project with enthusiasm and entrepreneurial creativity. The key to Maritza's success is she knows how to treat others as they would wish to be treated. Alongside this, she has managed to become connected to, pretty much, the entire University!"

Rachel Olden

Curriculum and Student Information Manager, Directorate of Academic and Student Administration

"Rachel goes out of her way to regularly praise and compliment members of the team. This has been very much appreciated over the past few months, where so many changes have left some members of staff feeling less knowledgeable and confident. Rachel’s calm demeanour never fails to make a situation better, along with her sense of perspective and, very importantly, her brilliant sense of humour."

Team of the Year

Winner: IT Services Request Fulfilment Team

Directorate of IT Services

"During the Covid-19 lockdown the team kept calm, just got stuck in and carried on, going above and beyond in providing both students and staff with support and IT equipment, in a friendly, positive and professional manner, to enable them to continue with their studies or work, and reducing their stress."

Brookes Enterprise Support

Directorate of Finance and Legal Services

"The team is passionate about boosting the confidence of talented individuals so they can achieve their ambitions. In January 2020, they launched Bloom, a new bespoke 8-week coaching programme for women at Brookes (students, staff and graduates) to support them in developing their business or career goals. It’s one example of how they seek to widen access to opportunities for under-represented groups in the entrepreneurial sector."

Estates Team

Directorate of Estates and Campus Services

"Personally I couldn't be prouder of my team and their response to this pandemic. They have shown throughout that they lead from the front in their support of our students who remain on site. Their 'can do' attitude and commitment in all working and supporting one another once again demonstrates the value of this team to the University."

Design Team

Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"I feel like the work this team has carried out in the last 18 months has had a phenomenal impact on both University staff, our current students and our potential students. They're also a great team to work with who rarely get recognised for the phenomenal amount of work they do!"

Brookes Award

Winner: Schools and Colleges Access Team

Directorate of Marketing and Communications

"Team members exude creativity and innovation in the activities they create for school students – including primary school time capsules, introductions to programming with real robots, putting Donald Trump on trial, and entertaining groups of students for 72 hours during summer schools (no mean feat!). The enthusiasm they have for working with young people is infectious, and the difference they make to participants is clearly visible."

Jason Jolliffe

Faculty Senior Management Accountant, Oxford Brookes Business School

"I am nominating Jason because he puts so much into Brookes. Just one example is staying late and working weekends to meet the tight deadlines for reporting and presenting financial data. Jason is also a great team leader, and incredibly encouraging with both personal and professional development. He has certainly helped me to develop and grow within my role and with my confidence in my own abilities."