Exceptional college student and staff social action heroes were honoured this afternoon as the Good for Me Good for FE awards returned to the House of the Lords for the 2025 winners’ ceremony.
Finalists across eight categories were welcomed to an afternoon tea reception hosted by awards patron, and former education secretary, Baroness Nicky Morgan, where winners were announced.
The awards are sponsored by NCFE, FE Associates and The Skills Network. FE Week is the awards media partner.
Opening the ceremony, Morgan said: “I am delighted to be here today, celebrating all your incredible achievements. FE is an inspirational sector and we need to spread the word!”
The Good for Me Good for FE campaign was founded in 2021 by London South East Colleges, Loughborough College and East College, but now involves around 150 colleges, to champion the value to society of the thousands of hours of volunteering and fundraising carried out by colleges, staff and students.
This year’s overall winner, selected by Morgan from the winners of each category, was Queen Mary’s College. Their college-wide social action programme mobilised nearly 1,000 first-year students to raise over £30,000 for more than 100 charities, building learners’ teamwork and problem-solving skills in the process.
“It just shows what young people can do when you give them an opportunity and put your trust in them!”
Collecting their award, principal Mark Henderson and colleague Victoria Renault said: “We are so proud to receive this award, but it is all about our first-year students. They absolutely shattered our expectations, putting in huge effort and raising an amazing amount of money.
“It just shows what young people can do when you give them an opportunity and put your trust in them!”
Among category winners, the individual fundraiser of the year went to accounting lecturer James Shields from Loughborough College Group, whose “amazing enthusiasm and leadership” saw him organise sponsored walks, raffles and a half-marathon to support a colleague with a rare brain tumour. His efforts raised more than £10,000 and inspired a college-wide culture of social responsibility, according to the judges.
Student volunteer of the year was awarded to Olivia Cook from Newark College (part of Lincoln College Group) for her community response following the tragic loss of her father to knife crime. Through her ‘Cookies Crusaders’ foundation, she has given over 880 volunteering hours, installed bleed kits across Newark, trained as a ‘stop the bleed’ instructor and led lifesaving education sessions for students, staff and the public.
Other winners included projects supporting hospices, asylum seekers, mental health charities and food insecurity.
Sam Parrett, group principal and CEO of London South East Colleges (part of Elevare Civic Education Group), and co-founder of Good for Me Good for FE, told guests: “I am proud to be standing here celebrating the very best of the FE sector.
“Good for Me Good for FE recognises the vast amount of social impact activities that students and staff are doing at colleges across the country to support their communities. The collective impact of this is immense, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone involved.”
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