Sharjah: The Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work (SAVW) honoured winners across its categories at a ceremony marking the award's 23rd edition, recognising individuals for their contribution to community service and their role in encouraging volunteering across UAE society.

University student award
Baraa Abdulqader Mohammed Abdulqader won the University Student Award for the Highest Volunteer Contributions after logging 1,216 volunteer hours. The award goes to students aged between 17 and 25 who are enrolled at a UAE university or college, are not employed, and have completed more than 100 documented volunteer hours during the year of participation.

Organisers said Abdulqader's win reflects her sustained involvement across a range of volunteering opportunities and initiatives and pointed to it as an example of the role university students can play in supporting community programmes and embedding a culture of volunteering among young people.

Volunteer Knight Award
Baana Salim Qaddoura won the Volunteer Knight Award for the Highest Volunteer Contributions after completing 2,125 volunteer hours. The award is open to school students aged 13 and above who are enrolled at a UAE school and have logged at least 100 documented volunteer hours during the year.

Organisers described Qaddoura's total as reflecting a notable commitment to giving and community participation, and said her win shows that school-age volunteers can turn volunteering into a sustained practice rather than a one-off contribution.

Building a culture of giving
Hanan Al Khayal, Executive Director of the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work, said dedicating separate categories to school and university students reflects the award's focus on encouraging younger generations to take part in volunteer work, both to build their skills and experience and to strengthen their sense of initiative and responsibility.

She added that the award is keen to recognise standout young volunteers who give their time and effort to serve others, and to encourage more students to make use of the volunteering opportunities available to them, so as to raise a generation that understands the value of volunteering and its role in social cohesion and sustainable development.

Al Khayal said the two categories underline the importance of investing in young people's energy and opening the door for them to take part in community initiatives, reinforcing volunteering as a lasting social practice that begins in the school years and carries through into later life.