UL students praised by president for their selfless work in advance of Christmas

STUDENTS attending the University of Limerick are making a massive impact in the community in the run-up to Christmas and President Kirsten Mey has praised their selflessness 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,” she said.

As part of the UL curriculum, students get the opportunity to be placed in a professional working environment to gain experience and become well-rounded graduates. In doing so, President Mey agreed that 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”.

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This year’s UL Christmas video (watch above) captured BSc Midwifery students Eve Weldon and Ellen Bennett and Higher Diploma Midwifery student Rebecca Ferguson on placement in the University Maternity Hospital Limerick, providing a vital, caring service to women, babies and their families in the wider community during childbirth.

The video also features 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 in UL’s Access Campus, a community hub with a focus on public health and education.

As well as the placement options, hundreds of UL students contribute each year to the President’s Volunteer Awards.

This year they bagged more than 27,000 volunteer hours to over 150 organisations, charities, and clubs both at home and abroad.

“UL has a long-established student volunteer culture”, added President Mey. “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.”

Now onto their 12th year, the awards require a minimum of 20 volunteer hours are required by each student to participate and UL has awarded more than 4,660 students for their volunteering since the programme began back in 2010.

Organisations who have benefitted from UL 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.