Double win for Derby at student recruitment awards

The University of Derby has secured first place in two categories at the 2025 HELOA Awards for its stand-out recruitment campaigns. 

The HELOA Awards celebrate best practice and excellence across the sector, acknowledging teams who help students to make informed decisions that contribute positively to their academic and professional journeys.  

Derby was crowned the winner in two categories, as voted for by others in the sector - Best Practice in Student Recruitment and Best Undergraduate Initiative. Recognised for its ‘Get Ready for Uni’ and ‘UG Student Recruitment Campaign 2023’, both developed by the University’s External Relations department. 

The ‘Get Ready for Uni’ campaign was praised for supporting students in the transition from school or college to university. Working with Derby alumnus and well-known Gogglebox TV personality, Baasit Siddiqui, the team created free on-demand videos and resources that hit the brief and stood out against other campaigns. 

Aiming to enhance engagement in the project, the campaign also introduced a competition which invited students to create and share a self-made podcast focussed on tackling a significant global societal challenge. 

While the ‘UG Student Recruitment Campaign 2023’ was recognised for resonating with a Gen Z audience and their influencers. It profiled Derby’s world-leading research into coral reef restoration while encouraging students to think about how they could save the world by going to university. 

Commenting on the success, Elly Sample, Director of External Relations at the University of Derby, said:

“I am so proud of the brilliant team on this achievement. As these national awards are voted for by the sector, this recognition is even more special.  

“Helping students make the right decisions about their futures is such an important role, with life-long impact, and it is wonderful to see our efforts acknowledged in this way. A huge congratulations to both our expert staff and students who were involved in supporting these projects.”