Science Brainwaves are delighted to have been presented with the British Science Association’s ‘Sir Walter Bodmer Award’. The award is presented annually to recognise the achievement of volunteers within the British Science Association. A big thank you to all of our volunteers for their hard work and dedication! For more information please read the official press release from the British Science Association below:
Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2012 with the Sir Walter Bodmer Award
Sheffield-based science group ‘Science Brainwaves’ has been presented with a national award, to recognise the outstanding contribution of their volunteers.
The British Science Association has presented the group with the 2012 Sir Walter Bodmer Award as part of national Volunteers’ Week, an annual campaign which celebrates the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK, which has been celebrated from 1-7 June this year.
Up and down the country, individuals and organisations hold special events to celebrate the contribution of volunteers, and inspire others to get involved in volunteering. The British Science Association works with an estimated 5700 volunteers every year. The Sir Walter Bodmer Award is given to celebrate the particularly outstanding efforts of a particular team or individual, in furthering the Association’s efforts to communicate science to the public.
This year the judging committee were very pleased to receive many nominations for the award. With so many examples of excellent volunteering it was difficult to choose just one winner.
Science Brainwaves ultimately stood out as a particularly excellent example of the commitment and dedication of our volunteers. Stemming from the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Branch in late 2009, Science Brainwaves has gone from strength to strength. It has successfully recruited new volunteers year on year, and has created some of the most innovative events in our Regional Programme. These have included highly engaging public events such as “Weird Physics”; “Better Looking, Better Loving – The Science of Beauty”; “The Botany of Gin”; flash mobs; hands on activities at music festivals; and a monthly science pub quiz.
In recognition of its success, Science Brainwaves became an independent Branch in 2011. The volunteers involved at the Branch have shown considerable enterprise and initiative, both in development of event themes and formats, and in building new partnerships and collaborations.
The Branch is noted to have added value and strength not just to the British Science Association but also to University of Sheffield; all the volunteers are students and researchers based at the University.
Also nominated this year was Tacita Nye who has led the Branch over the past year, and overseen its growth. The awarding committee would like to give a special mention to Tacita, for the huge amount of effort and dedication demonstrated over the past year, to ensure the success of the Branch.
An additional long service award was given this year, for the first time, to Dr Ian Chapman of the Tayside and Fife Branch, who has given more than 30 years of service to the branch.
To find out more about Science Brainwaves, visit http://www.sciencebrainwaves.com/ or for more information about how to get involved in volunteering, or just see what activities are on offer in your area, visit the British Science Association website www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/RegionsandBranches/index.htm