Celebrating International Volunteer Day 2024 with our Society Champions

Posted on December 5, 2024   by Microbiology Society

5 December 2024 is International Volunteer Day and it’s a great opportunity for us to highlight why Microbiology Society volunteers have decided to become Champions and have generously given their time to promote microbiology and the Society in their local areas. 
This year, we want to show appreciation to Champions who contribute to the Society in many different ways. They have attended events on our behalf; organised their own events; taken part in interviews and written blogs. They have also played a vital role in the Society’s focus on equality, diversity and inclusion by providing content for awareness days and organising social events for members of our community from historically marginalised groups. 
Below, you can find out more about why two of our Champions decided to join the Scheme and what they get out of it.

"I joined the Microbiology Society to connect with a community of like-minded professionals and access resources that would help me grow as a microbiologist, while also supporting others in the field. Coming from a resource limited setting, I understand how critical it is to have access to knowledge, resources and opportunities for collaboration – the Society provides exactly that. Becoming a Champion gave me the chance to actively promote these resources and inspire early career microbiologists to pursue their goals and contribute to the field.

Through this role, I’ve been able to raise awareness about the importance of microbiology and its impact on society, while also empowering others to take advantage of the opportunities the Society has to offer. I’ve organised Sudan’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Symposium, bringing students, healthcare professionals and policymakers together to address the critical issue of AMR. This symposium is part of my broader mission to support the development of research and solutions to AMR, particularly within my community.

Being a Champion and volunteer means being an active part of a larger mission to shape the future of science and support those in need of mentorship, resources and opportunities. It’s about giving back to the community, empowering others and using my position to facilitate positive change." (Sara Albagir Abdalla, University of Khartoum, Sudan)

“Joining the Microbiology Society was always something I put off, not feeling like a ‘proper’ microbiologist, even though I worked with fungi and some bacteria. I started to see the benefits my peers got from being a member and I realised that it was about being part of a community and learning more about my field of choice. This was part of the reason I became a Champion. I saw it as a way to pass on my unique skill set, to learn from others and to share a passion for fungi and fungal resistance. I ran the Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Induction Quiz because this is the first year the new BSc Microbiology and Immunology degree was running, so it felt like the opportune time to celebrate this and to get students on other undergraduate courses to embrace the topic.” (Claire Price, Swansea University, UK)

Thank you to all of our Champions, as well as volunteer members who sit on Council, Committees, Panels, Divisions and Boards, for their continued support of the Society. 

If you would like to get involved and become a Microbiology Society Champion or take part in other various opportunities, have a look at our Get Involved page. Alternatively, you can email us via [email protected]. 

Thumbnail image credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio