AYRSHIRE College Student President Emma Hall has been awarded NUS Scotland’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Inspirational Student of the Year award.

Emma also helped scoop the LGBT Campaign of the Year award for the #JoinTheConversation campaign over LGBT History Month, which she was instrumental in organising alongside the College’s Equality and Inclusion team.

A big part of the #JoinTheConversation campaign was to encourage LGBT and non-LGBT people to come together for three highly successful Conversation Cafes at each of the main campuses at the College.

Feedback from students about the Conversation Cafes was exceptionally positive, and several students remarked that they felt included and felt secure knowing that Ayrshire College and the Ayrshire College Student Association take hate crime exceptionally seriously and do not tolerate any discrimination.

Emma Hall was recognised for the work she does to support LGBT students at the College in her role as Student President for Positive Well-being at the Ayr campus. She is also a Further Education representative on the NUS UK LGBT Committee.

Her dedication to the role and commitment to enforcing safe space policies and making LGBT students feel included in the community played a major part in her winning the award. During last year’s LGBT History Month, Emma campaigned tirelessly and produced 43 posters, 12 podcasts, 28 LGBT facts released on social media.

Sara Turkington, Equality and Inclusion Officer at Ayrshire College, said: “I’m delighted for Emma that she has been recognised like this and I am equally delighted that our work together has been recognised.  “It’s a great achievement and certainly one I am very proud of.

“I look forward to working on further initiatives to support LGBT people.” Emma said: “I am totally overwhelmed. I’m so proud of what Ayrshire has achieved this year and it was amazing to see our name and our campaign up there – never mind actually winning! It is an absolute honour to have won this award and I’m beyond thrilled.

“Without the LGBT student movement I wouldn’t be where I am now and this is something I’ll remember forever.”