HARD-WORKING, outstanding and empowering were some of the words used to describe winners at Oxford Brookes’ staff recognition awards yesterday.

Nine employees and teams were recognised for “going the extra mile” for their roles and marked a number of firsts at the university.

In his first task since being officially inaugurated earlier in the day, the new vice-chancellor Prof Alistair Fitt presented awards to staff who were nominated for reasons such as “helping to raise a positive profile of the university” and having “lasting effects on students and staff across the university”.

The Brookes People Awards 2015 marked the first time the university has held a organisation-wide staff recognition scheme and coincides with its150th anniversary.

Among the winners was head of upgrade study services Kate Williams, from Summertown, who won the Colleague of the Year award.

She has been in the role for 10 years and helped set up the service which helps students who have stopped education at an early age or have come back to education to develop the skills needed to further themselves at university.

The winner said: “My role is a mission and a passion. The recognition is amazing. You assume nobody knows what you are doing in the institution, which may have been the case at one time. But I think asking people to open up will throw up huge achievements and the things that make Brookes tick.”

Oxford Brookes staff have been voting for the awards since the beginning of the year and more than 700 nominations were received.

Alongside the Colleague of the Year award, categories followed the university’s principles of generosity of spirit, confidence, connectedness and enterprising creativity.

Nominations were whittled down by a panel of 12 staff members to a list of 38 individual colleagues and teams.

The winner who received the most nominations overall was head of university events Beth Hill, from Childrey.

She said: “It was a complete surprise, there are such fabulous people here at Oxford Brookes University and we all contribute our skills to the job. I just feel really humble that they picked me.”

Ms Hill works with a team behind a lot of the events held at the university including the ceremony and awards.

In her nomination Ms Hill was described as “a source of pride and inspiration to all”.

The awards finished with drinks and music on the university grounds with music played by an orchestra. Prof Anne-Marie Kilday, pro-vice chancellor and the Brookes People Awards project chairwoman and sponsor, said: “The awards are about recognising people everywhere at Oxford Brookes who are going the extra mile in making the university internationally renowned for its teaching, learning and research.

“Everyone, including both academic and support staff, contributes to making Oxford Brookes a better place to work and study and this is a great opportunity to celebrate our outstanding colleagues.”

Prof Fitt said: “I am delighted that my first act after inauguration was to recognise the outstanding contributions.

“It is a pleasure to work alongside such dedicated and talented colleagues on a daily basis.”