Throughout lockdown, college teams have gone above and beyond to make sure students are helped and supported.

Staff and volunteers have been going the extra mile to take care of students and provide them with extra support during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a handful of Lancaster University colleagues have been nominated for awards in recognition of their efforts.

In Bowland, College Manager Lorna Harrison has been nominated as a Student Accommodation Hero in this year’s National Student Housing Awards, along with her team in celebration of all of their efforts.

At the beginning of the Easter vacation, the team put together goodie bags for students staying on campus and left them outside their rooms, to show they were thinking of them. They contained items such as popcorn, cakes, biscuits and microwavable snacks that the team thought would be useful in case they couldn’t get out for shopping. They also bought adult colouring books and pens for students to collect.

As lockdown continued, the team made sure students had everything they needed and helped with food shopping, arranging appointments or organising laptop loans, and spent time chatting to the students who wanted someone to talk to.

Lorna said: “As strange as it sounds, it has helped us get to know more of our students. It has been a very challenging time for everyone, so the fact that one of our students has taken the time to acknowledge our efforts is overwhelming and a lovely acknowledgement for our staff team and our team of amazing volunteers.

“Student well-being is our absolute priority and our staff have gone above and beyond to support our students during this time - this nomination reinforces our commitment to delivering a positive student experience for all and we are absolutely thrilled."

Grizedale Accommodation Manager Tracy Hargreaves has also been nominated as a Student Accommodation Hero, in recognition of her support.

Tracy said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised by our students, especially during these challenging and unpredictable times. It’s amazing how well how students have adapted to the current situation and how much patience and understanding they have shown and in return, we hope the level of care and support we have been able to offer, has helped them through this difficult period.”

This year will see the first Student Accommodation Hero Awards, given to staff nominated by students in National Student Housing Survey feedback during the Covid-19 crisis.

They are a chance to celebrate some of the extraordinary work that has been done in the past few months.