The LSE Volunteer Centre has received some fantastic nominations for the LSE Volunteer of the Year Award 2024! Students have been nominated by charities, fellow LSE students and LSE members of staff. We’re incredibly proud to recognise and support so many committed, enthusiastic and passionate student volunteers. 

The award winners will be announced at our in-person LSE Volunteer Awards ceremony on Thursday 2 May, and we’ll be tasked with the difficult decision of choosing them. Congratulations to the following nominees for their excellence in volunteering while being students at the LSE and read more about them below!

Advait Kuravi (BSc Politics 2025)

RAG: he co-led the 30-person committee to the most active year in living memory.

• Spearheaded Giving Tuesday. He got over 15 societies involved and raised over £1000.
• Spearheaded countless RAG Fundraisers, from the Freshers Club night (raised over £2000) to the Fashion Show (£5000) to the Casino Night (£1000).
• Facilitated volunteering opportunities, including countless bake sales, canvassing, and volunteering at Euston food-bank.
• Led a donation drive for Calais in collaboration with Student Action for Refugees.
• Spearheaded national campaigns at LSE, including Movember and Remembrance Day.

Secretary-General of LSE’s Model United Nations conference: he was determined to make an impact on attendees and make the conference a true social enterprise.

• Introduced a bursary scheme, subsidising 15 attendees.
• Introduced an outreach scheme, visiting 5 universities.
• Successfully led the conference to gain an official net zero accreditation.

Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo ( MSc Executive MSc in Cities 2025)

One: Anna Mae Lamentillo is the Chief Future Officer at Build Initiative Foundation Inc., a non-profit dedicated to promoting inclusivity and equality in physical and digital spaces. In 2013, she collaborated with the UN on the Haiyan Emergency Response and Rehabilitation Program, supporting affected communities with cash-for-work initiatives and aid for farmers and fisherfolk. During the 2017 Marawi siege, she played a pivotal role in the “Build Build Build” infrastructure program, facilitating the reconstruction of vital roads for citizens’ access to essential services. Beyond her official duties, she partnered with NGOs to establish libraries and classrooms, fostering a sense of normalcy for Marawi’s youth. Amid the 2020 Covid-19 crisis, Ms. Lamentillo exemplified unwavering dedication to public service.

Two: Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo is a quintessential volunteer deserving of recognition. Her commitment to service shone brightly in the aftermath of the Marawi siege, where she transcended her official mandate to help rebuild the city, partnering with NGOs to construct libraries and classrooms for the youth. Her volunteer spirit was not newfound; it was further cemented by her proactive involvement in the Typhoon Haiyan recovery efforts, working with UNDP and FAO to aid affected communities. Anna Mae’s dedication extends to her collaboration with military and police forces, contributing to infrastructure development and disaster response. As a reservist and auxiliary force member, her actions epitomize selflessness and civic duty. Founding the Build Initiative Foundation Inc., she continues to strive for inclusive societies, leveraging technology to remove barriers to accessibility.

Anna Ward (BSc Politics and International Relations 2025)

Anna is a regular volunteer for the local girl guides, giving up every Tuesday evening to help better the community and help nurture the next generation. Alongside her regular role at Girl Guides, she has volunteered for both the 67th and 68th commissions on the status of women for UN Women. Furthering her work on gender equality, Anna has been key in arranging the Women in Politics Society’s fundraiser (bake sale) for Women’s Aid. She helped run the stall for their volunteering session focusing on letter writing for victims of domestic violence with SATEDA. Overall, Anna is an incredible volunteer and a gift to the community around her.

Ava Lundell (MSc Public Policy and Administration 2024)

Each week AMURT UK prepares and serves delicious plant-based meals to hundreds of Londoners facing food insecurity, isolation and homelessness. Through hail, sleet, rain and shine, Ava has been dedicated and enthusiastic in regularly volunteering her time and energy in helping us to serve those who face real hardship. We are really grateful to Ava! She has a tremendous positive attitude which is very much appreciated by us and our service users!

Crystal Wong (MSc European and International Public Policy 2024)

Crystal has become an irreplaceable part of the Kitchen Volunteering team. Not only has she contributed to the essential work we do in our kitchen by volunteering every week and helping to provide upwards of tens of thousands of meals to vulnerable people across London using surplus food, but she has also been essential for the development of our growing volunteer base. Crystal has worked really closely with some of our volunteers who don’t speak English as their first language and are not so confident with speaking to other people, and she has helped them to develop and increase their confidence, and in turn becoming an essential part of our Felix Family. Crystal always goes above and beyond and is a shining example to her peers.

Dzigbodi Christon-Quao (MSc Gender, Development and Globalisation 2024)

Dzigbodi has been a dedicated volunteer in two of our projects in Africa (Ivory Coast and Nigeria). Her research will be very useful in informing our Business Women Skills Training project in Ivory Coast and Vocational Training  and Mentoring Projects for young women in Nigeria. By giving her time and effort, she has gone above and beyond to support WONDER Foundation’s cause of empowering women and girls to exit poverty through quality education.

Elizaveta Dubova (MSc Media and Communications 2024)

Elizaveta Dubova participated in both the Community Engagement Programme and the Research Volunteering Scheme this year, which represents a significant commitment to volunteering. Thank you and well done!

Ella Sawhney (BSc Politics and Philosophy 2025)

Ella volunteers in a variety of ways, helping numerous people from different walks of life. Her diversity in volunteering is inspiring and I believe is testament to her commitment to charity. What stands out to me is her dedication, as shown by her volunteering since she was 14 (in 2018). This commitment shows her passion for helping others and giving back to the community. An example of this is her sponsored walk for Khalsa Aid in 2020. Following the Covid Pandemic, Ella was unable to partake in the marathon that she had initially planned. Instead, she completed the alternative walk organised by the charity, walking 26 miles over 26 days. She managed to raise over £500 just from her efforts alone and I believe that this deserves recognition. Even throughout university, Ella manages to fit in multiple hours a week to tutor children who are unable to receive support otherwise.

Ella Vermeyle (MSc in International Social Public Policy Development 2024)

Ella is currently doing a MSc at LSE in International Social and Public Policy. She joined Carers UK as an office volunteer early in January.  Since the first day, her commitment to support our cause has been very valuable to us. Ella is very dedicated, despite her busy schedule, she has helped with data and survey analysis of our Volunteer and Members Survey, helping us to identify ways to support and engage with our members and volunteers. She has carried out some research, and has attended volunteering events at LSE, helping us to engage with 50-70 LSE students. Ella always comes with a smile to the office and brings a very positive energy to our busy days. She has also taken the opportunity to raise awareness with her fellow students by presenting to her class about Caring and raising awareness of unpaid carers. Ella’s contributions and excellent attention to detail have been outstanding. We hope Ella is enjoying volunteering with Carers UK.

Emily Ngai (MSc Organisational and Social Psychology 2024)

Emily Ngai participated in both the Community Engagement Programme and the Research Volunteering Scheme this year, which represents a significant commitment to volunteering. Thank you and well done!

Érika Huartos (MSc in Social and Cultural Psychology 2024)

I nominate Érika because, despite her university workload, she always finds space to work for others, challenge herself, and leave a mark. In Colombia, her home country, she not only pursued work in social impact projects as a profession but also supplemented it with volunteering with small social organisations in areas affected by violence; and in London, she volunteered in 4 roles! She always motivates us to seek volunteering options to help others and strengthen our skills. The most beautiful thing is that she does it with humility; she doesn’t make those who don’t volunteer feel bad, but she always motivates and invites us to accompany her in her activities. Érika is a person who has always been interested in serving and helping others. She is an example of inspiration, and for everything she has done in such a short time at LSE, she should be the volunteer of the year.

Evgeniia Zen (BA Geography 2024)

Evgeniia has gone above and beyond as a mentor. She has been highly committed, dedicating lots of time and energy to the scheme. She has not only supported her allocated mentees, but has given up additional time to give Jenny and I to give feedback and suggestions throughout this pilot year of the scheme. She has been invaluable in shaping the Neurodivergent SAM Scheme through her ideas and enthusiasm and her role as a mentor.

Grecia Camacho-Dominguez (MSc Gender, Development and Globalisation 2024)

Grecia Camacho-Dominguez participated in both the Community Engagement Programme and the Research Volunteering Scheme this year, which represents a significant commitment to volunteering. Thank you and well done!

Hasti Modi (Alumni, Master of Public Admin 2022)

One: Hasti is an individual who strives to contribute to a widespread community regardless of where she’s based. During her time in London she organized five tree plantation drives resulting in more than 500 trees planted as of date, with 75+ no. of people involved from all age groups. A Diana awardee for the same reason, her pursuits did not stop here. She is a woman of strong conviction and seeks to bring together people, as exemplified by her taking charge of organizing a spiritual event at the LSESU earlier this month. As an alumna, she continues to engage with the LSE community and actively partakes, and engages others to participate, in volunteering opportunities. I worked as a speaker officer under Hasti in 2021-22 and the leadership skills she showed in organizing a high-profile event in a time-constrained setting are unforgettable. Her positive, “come what may” attitude and relentless work ethic have enlightened all those who worked with her.

Two: Hasti is a young and enthusiastic environmentalist who has made significant contributions to the expansion of green spaces in India and more recently in France, the UK and Italy. She started an NGO in India at the age of 15 to plant trees in Gujarat, India. Over the last decade, she has been instrumental in planting and nurturing over 50,00 trees and fundraising over £200,000. During her time at the LSE, Hasti initiated 3 pilot projects and 2 large scale tree plantation drives. She collaborated with organisations such as London National Park City, The Conservation Volunteers, and OVO Energy to mobilise resources and has planted over 500 fruit and native trees in London while mobilising over 70 people of various age groups to participate in her projects. She was also awarded the prestigious Diana Award in 2022 to honour her for making a positive global environmental impact. Most recently, she participated in the “April Cool” tree plantation drive that she organised at the Grange Primary School, where she led the drive to plant over 250 trees with the Mayor of Harrow, Assembly Members and Councillors from the Harrow and Brent Council, volunteers from the LSE Volunteer Centre and other NGOs.

Helen Bourne (BSc International Social and Public Policy 2025)

Helen is such a thoughtful and compassionate person; qualities that she brings to every volunteering opportunity that she takes on.  As President of the LSESU 93% Club, she has restarted the society after a long period of inactivity, creating a safe space for state-educated students and students who have faced adverse challenges during their educational journey, whilst ensuring strong safeguarding practices, inclusivity and sense of belonging within the society.  Moreover, as a Student Volunteering Ambassador, she has organised Student Volunteering week, and led social media takeovers.  In addition to these commitments, Helen is currently working towards a goal of raising £10,000 for The Penpont Project, as both a fundraiser and a volunteer for the charity.  During the summer, Helen has also volunteered with Action for Conservation, on week-long summer camps for 11-16-year-olds, helping them to connect with nature in the Peak District countryside.

Check out part 2 for the second half of our Volunteer of the Year student nominees, as well as our blogs for Voluntary Group of the Year and Voluntary Organisation of the Year!