They walked away with the Accountability and Transparency Award beating Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland into second place. Kent won the award after establishing the most effective channels of communication with stakeholders to allow them to gain a clearer and more comprehensive account of what the students’ union achieves. The award was sponsored by CfA, a charity recruitment agency. They were also highly commended in the Best Employer Award.
Paul Breckell, Finance Director at the RNID who judged the award said “I’m impressed that the union reaches a wider community, not just the student population.”
Another judge, Chris Priestley, partner at law firm Withers who works in its Charities & Philanthropy Team, said: “Using Facebook to publicise an AGM is a great idea. It’s technologically savvy.”
This has been the third year in succession, students’ unions have been celebrated at the awards. Last year, NUS won a Third Sector award in 2008 for Best Use of Digital Media on the back of an online campaign against HSBC and, in 2007, Kings College London Students’ Union won an award for Most Improved Trustee Board.
Helen Wood, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kent Union, said: "We are extremely proud to have received Third Sector Excellence Awards this year in the categories of Best Employer and Accountability and Transparency. The awards recognise the efforts we have made over recent years to become an outstanding employer and to develop robust governance arrangements and ensure we are accountable to our members through strong democratic structures."