Alan Shannon-Smith in front of a sign at the Queer Students Awards 2023
Alan Shannon-Smith in front of a sign at the Queer Students Awards 2023

UWL sponsors rising star award at the 2023 Queer Student Awards

Intro

The third annual Queer Student Awards took place at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on Wednesday 14 June, hosted by trans ambassador Katie Neeves. The awards celebrate the achievements of young LGBTQ+ people, recognising winners in 13 different categories, with the University of West London (UWL) sponsoring the rising star award.

Article body

The hybrid evening event welcomed over 150 in-person guests who enjoyed performances by international drag superstar The Beyoncé Experience and queer artist on the rise Smashby.

Head of Student Advice and Immigration Alan Shannon-Smith attended on behalf of UWL and presented awards to rising star award winner Bazil Saiq, who was unable to attend in person, and runner up Krita Shah.

It was great to celebrate students’ achievements towards diversity and representation. They are doing this on top or outside of their studies and they really are working to make the world a better place. I think having an opportunity to come together and celebrate the positive things that are happening is really important,”

Alan says.

Category sponsors presenting awards on the evening also included Allen & Overy, AstraZeneca, Clyde & Co, Enterprise, Kellogg’s, Pearson, The Royal Navy, Trans in The City, Middlesex University and WTW. Award winners were chosen by a panel of educators, employers, queer influencers and recruitment experts.

This year’s winner of the top award, Queer of the Year, was Taj Donville-Outerbridge from King’s College London, and Alan is keen to see UWL students being recognised for their work in the future.

UWL wants to be a safe space for everyone, and part of the reason we sponsor this award is to make sure that we're underlining that message. It shows our commitment to inclusion and celebrating the successes, but also supporting the efforts that all our students are making towards making a more inclusive society.”

Related news