United Colleges Group (UCG) is proud to announce that two of its support staff have been nominated for prestigious national awards.
Head of Student Support Services, Diana Brown, has been shortlisted for the Support Staff of the Year prize at the NCFE Aspiration Awards 2025 ─ while Nadia El Atrash, Senior HR Manager, has led UCG to be included on the shortlist for the Diversity & Inclusion Strategy prize at the Women in Green Business Awards 2025.
Diana has been a valued member of United Colleges Group for several years and has demonstrated exceptional dedication and compassion in her role. Her unwavering support for both students and staff has made a lasting and positive impact across the college community.
The NCFE Aspiration Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions made across the further education sector – and Diana’s nomination is a powerful recognition of her tireless work to help students thrive.
This academic year, Diana has led the Student Support Services team in holding two major events to raise awareness of vital issues facing young people today: extremism and mental health. Firstly, Prevent Week took place during November to raise awareness of radicalisation and engage students and staff on preventative safeguarding approaches. Secondly, EmpowerMENt week was launched to engage more male members of the student population with mental health and wellbeing themes, making sure they were empowered to access the right services when needed.
Testament to her enduring hard work, Diana and her team won the 2023 National Association for Managers of Student Services Inspirational Project of the Year trophy for her work building UCG’s Food Bank and Clothes Bank programme.
David Gallagher, Chief Executive of NCFE, said: “Congratulations to all the finalists of the Aspiration Awards 2025. Every year, we’re inspired by the incredible talent, hard work, and dedication shown across the further education sector – from learners and apprentices to the educators and organisations that support them.
“This year was no exception, and the quality of nominations made the judges’ task of selecting a shortlist extremely difficult. Good luck to all our finalists this year and a huge well done to everyone who was nominated.”
Meanwhile, UCG’s Nadia El Atrash has been recognised in the Diversity & Inclusion Strategy shortlist at Women in Green Business Awards, which celebrates companies committed to tackling gender inequities and building the UK’s green economy.
Nadia has worked tirelessly to improve UCG’s representation of ethnically diverse groups at leadership level. This has seen the leadership and management categories at the college rise from 19% to 48% during her four-year tenure.
Particularly powerful is the ‘Grow Your Own’ campaign that sees aspiring staff given an interim opportunity with a development programme to grow into new roles over a 12-month period. Nadia has also been at the forefront of UCG’s inclusive celebrations at the college, such as those for Eid, as well as organising numerous staff wellbeing days.
These initiatives helped UCG achieve 53rd place in the latest National Centre for Diversity’s Top 100 Inclusive UK Employers rankings, making it the only central London institution to feature in the top 100 ─ and one of only 17 colleges in total to feature.
Stephen Davis, CEO & Group Principal at United Colleges Group, said “Diana Brown’s nomination reflects the deep care and professionalism she brings to her role each day. She represents the very best of what we strive for at United Colleges Group – a commitment to inclusive, student-centred education supported by dedicated staff who go above and beyond.
“We are immensely proud of Nadia El Atrash for her well-deserved nomination for a Women in Green Business Award. Her commitment to sustainability and people development has made a lasting impact at United Colleges Group. Nadia exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, values-driven leadership that our sector needs.”
The winners of the NCFE Aspiration Awards 2025 will be announced in June, while the Women in Green Business Awards take place in October. United Colleges Group extends its warmest congratulations to Diana and Nadia.
“My experience at College of Northwest London, has been exciting, it has been thrilling and it has been full of opportunities, and we have the tutors that help us whenever we’re in need. We go on educational trips to get a feel for what university life is like. We have the careers advisors that help us on our path, our university path.”
“The facilities here are brilliant. You have range of courses you can study. My teachers in the Performing Arts department have got history in the industry, which is very useful. You get to ask them for advice and actual knowledge from the industry, and take that into your own work within the college also afterwards. ”
“At City of Westminster College, my experience has been the best of all the other colleges I’ve attended. The reason I like CWC is because the teachers make my journey easier with assessment and exams. I’m a Level Two Science student and I enjoy my lessons because most of them are practical, which are helpful for me. I love studying at CWC because you meet people from other countries – all over the world and from all different communities.”
“My favourite thing about studying here has definitely got to be the teachers. They’re really helpful, kind and in the industry, so it’s good.”
“The technical knowledge and hands-on experience gained during my apprenticeship at College of North West London have been invaluable, particularly in understanding site processes, health and safety requirements and the understanding of electrical systems.”
“My experience studying at City of Westminster College has been amazing. It’s been so welcoming; I enjoy it very much because of the staff members we have here. They’re very approachable and I could come to them with any question, and it will be answered straight away. And if I come early for a class, I can use the Learning Resources Centre, I can use the computers, the books, just to continue all my studies outside the classroom time.”
“The training process was seamless. I had good instructors who were very flexible, supporting people of all learning levels. On the last day after our exams, a security company came and did a presentation. We had the opportunity to have an interview afterwards. I told them about my experiences, and they said I would be a good fit. I formally applied for a role and started with the company soon after. Getting into security has opened doors for me. I hope I will continue to take steps up the career ladder.”
“Coming to study at the City of Westminster College was the best decision that I had ever made. The teachers are very accommodating – they help you learn things in a way that might be easier for you to learn. They are very supportive and I think that’s one of the best things about learning here.”
“I was so grateful to have won Apprentice of the Year at the West London Business Awards 2026, I could not have done it without the support my company Size Group and the College of North West London.”
