Students at University of Limerick are making a massive impact in the community in the run-up to Christmas.
That is according to UL President Professor Kerstin Mey, citing the many hundreds of students that go on placement every year and the thousands of volunteer hours students provide to external organisations annually.
UL students contributed more than 27,000 volunteer hours to over 150 organisations, charities, and clubs both at home and abroad this year as part of the President’s Volunteer Awards.
In just two specific examples of students on placement captured for this year’s UL Christmas video - shot with locally based film maker and videographer Steve Hall - student midwives, dietetic and occupational therapy students are shown at work in the University Maternity Hospital Limerick and at UL’s Access Campus in the LEDP in Roxboro in the city.
President Mey hailed those who go out on placement as part of their studies and those who have given their time voluntarily to organisations this year as UL celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.
“One of the many strengths of our student body is the consideration that they have for those that need support,” said Professor Mey.
“UL has a long-established student volunteer culture, and you can see that in the 580 students that were recently recognised for their outstanding civic engagement during the last academic year. The work they do is phenomenal, and they do it on top of their studies and in many cases on top of work and sporting commitments.
“Each academic year, hundreds of our students go out on placement to gain real world experience during their course of study which is vital for them to become well rounded graduates of the future – but also in doing so they provide an essential resource to those organisations that they work for, often providing care to people and having a massive impact on the community around them.
“Our vision for UL is to provide an outstanding student experience, to actively serve our communities and to contribute to the civil, social and cultural life of the region and beyond. I couldn’t be prouder of our student body for the work they do in communities beyond the campus,” added Professor Mey.
The video features BSc Midwifery students Eve Weldon and Ellen Bennett and Higher Diploma Midwifery student Rebecca Ferguson on placement in the University Maternity Hospital Limerick, where they and others provide a vital, caring service to women, babies and their families in the wider community during the life-changing event of childbirth.
Student midwives go on practice placement as part of their midwifery programmes to the UL Hospital Group and the maternity services of University Hospital, Waterford, South Tipperary General Hospital Clonmel and St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny.
The video also captures MSc Human Nutrition and Dietetic students Rosemary Cushion and Emma Dolan and MSc Occupational Therapy students Sarah Comerford and Jane Linehan providing a health and wellness session to a group from Family Carers Ireland in UL’s Access Campus, a community hub with a focus on public health and education where different external organisations link in.
Separately, the ceremony for the President’s Volunteer Awards took place in UL recently. Now into its 12th year, the awards are organised by the Community Liaison Office in the Student Affairs Division.
A minimum of 20 volunteer hours are required by each registered student to participate and UL has awarded more than 4,660 students for their volunteering since the programme began in 2010.
Organisations who have benefitted from student volunteers include ISPCC/Childline Limerick, Midwest Simon Community, Irish Cancer Society, Irish Red Cross, AWARE, Barnardo’s Ireland, Hope Foundation, Scouting Ireland and GAA clubs across the country to name but a few.