The University of Hertfordshire’s student union has won the Student Union of the Year prize at the National Centre for Diversity FREDIE Awards 2021.

The union received the award after ranking 61st in NCFD’s 2021 Top 100 Most Inclusive Workplaces Index, making them the best student union for diversity in the UK.

NCFD’s FREDIE award recognises values of Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, with Rebecca Hobbs, chief executive officer at Hertfordshire students’ union pleased to win the award and keen to continue improving in the future.

“The award is recognition of the considerable progress we have made in promoting diversity and inclusion at Herts, but we know there is still plenty of work to do,” she said.

“We are working closely with NCFD to develop an action plan that will shape our diversity and inclusion strategy for the next two years, ensuring we fulfil our commitment of embedding these principles into everything we do.

“The award reflects the positive progress we have made over the last few years to further inclusion and diversity. An example of a Students’ Union-led initiative that has contributed to this progress is Herts Empowerment, an online forum where students can leave feedback about things impacting them at university.

“The feedback is then assigned to one of the Elected Officers at the Students’ Union, who will decide how to take it forward within the institution.”

Solat Chaudhry, chief executive at the NCFD, added: “I send my warmest congratulations to Hertfordshire students' union. It’s been a challenging year, and yet it has not dented the excellent work that organisations and individuals do in promoting FREDIE best practice.

“Through the work of the FREDIEs we are able to build a better society, and our winners come from a wonderful cross section of private, public, education and charity sectors representing the very best.”

The Student Union of the Year award isn’t the first picked by Hertfordshire this year, having achieved NCFD’s Investors in Diversity for Small Charities Accreditation in March for upholding the centre’s values.