DSU’s Games Development Society has been named as the Best New Society in the UK.
De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU)’s Games Development Society (DMU GDS) has been named as the Best New Society in the UK.
The society picked up the honour at the National Union of Students (NUS)’ National Societies Awards (NSA) on Saturday night at a glitzy ceremony held in Bristol at the University of West England Students’ Union.
Dominic Mathuse is Safety Officer for the society and collected the award. He said: “Going up to the stage to collect the award was obviously a very proud moment.
“I was very happy that I decided to come along and represent our society at the awards ceremony and I was overjoyed when I found out that we had actually won!
“Thinking about what makes DMU GDS stand out from other ‘new’ societies, I feel that the fact that we managed to get such a huge amount of paid members within such a short time is a major key, but also the great turnouts that we managed to get for our events.
“A particular moment during the past year where I felt that was the [sports and] societies fair during #FreshFest15 at which our stand had been absolutely overrun with people from all sorts of different courses.
“It was at this time as well that we had loads of people signing up, pushing our member count close to an incredible 200, which seems amazing for a society that had only just started out. I definitely never expected this many people to sign up and pay to be a member of our society and definitely not within the first week of the year!”
Dominic, a final-year Game Art Design student, is graduating next month. But he said he looks forward to what the society can do in the future. “I am sad to say that unfortunately I won't be a part of DMU GDS next year, since I will be graduating in July,” he explained. “But I am currently in touch with the new committee for the upcoming year and I am feeling confident that they will be just as successful as we have been during this year.”
The society had also made a strong shortlist for Academic Society of the Year.
Richard Brooks, NUS Vice President (Union Development), judged the entries for shortlisting and said: “I’m proud of the activities taking place in societies within students’ unions, and so impressed with the dedication of the volunteers who put so much energy and enthusiasm into their societies.
“Judging the first National Societies Awards has been a pleasure. We know societies change lives, keep students in education and make society a better place and I’m so proud to be celebrating that.”
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Dominic collects the Games Development Society's trophy from NUS Vice President (Union Development) Richard Brooks and UWE SU VP Societies and Communication Gem Heywood.