Last week saw the first ever Virtual Golden Apples ceremony, a Christ Church Student Union event celebrating the fantastic colleagues we have here at the university.

The current situation we find ourselves in has meant we have all needed to adapt remarkably quickly to be able to continue to support students and colleagues, and the awards were a great opportunity for our students to be able to thank and congratulate those staff who have done this so brilliantly.

We have spoken on these blogs before about the power of gratitude and what a positive impact we can have on ourselves and others by taking the time to recognise good work and supportive collegiate behaviour. Public displays of gratitude like the Golden Apples don’t suit everyone but I would defy anyone who was nominated to say they weren’t pleased! Perhaps a virtual ceremony is a good compromise – none of the potentially embarrassing walks up to the stage, and yet your impact is acknowledged and shared.

The awards ceremony is well worth a watch, especially if you need a reminder about how many fantastic colleagues we have here. We are hoping to persuade some of them to share the secrets of their greatness in a future blog!

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

Juliet Flynn, Organisational and People Development Advisor