A MidKent College lecturer has won the ‘Staff Volunteer of the Year’ award at the national Good For Me Good for FE ceremony held in the Palace of Westminster, London.
The annual awards, now in their third year, recognise the exceptional contributions to volunteering and fundraising of eight people or organisations working in Further Education.
Lewis O’Callaghan from Chatham was presented with his award by Lesley Davies, CBE, executive director of the Chartered Institution for Further Education which runs the awards, at a formal afternoon tea in the Cholmondeley Room in the House of Lords. His mother Ann and father Mark joined him, and the principal of MidKent College, Simon Cook for the occasion.
Lewis was nominated, without his knowledge, by MidKent College colleagues for his work with Sheppey Sea Cadets and the South East Coast Ambulance Service for more than 17 years. “The first I knew that I was a finalist was when my phone started pinging with messages, and then at 2pm I got an email inviting me to the ceremony. To win is such an honour.”
The engineering tutor joined the Sea Cadets aged nine and then became an adult member at 19. He dedicates two evenings a week to the Cadets and then works at weekends supporting the ambulance service.
His nomination cited he is “actively involved with two charitable organisations that significantly impact the lives of young people, residents and communities in Kent. He is passionate about accessibility and plays a key role in fundraising to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent young people from participating fully.”
His commitment has been recognised beyond his unit, with appointments as District Staff Officer (Boating) and Assistant Area Staff Officer (Rowing). Lewis has led a week-long Boatwork Course for the last three years, catering to around 50 cadets per day from across Kent the August school holidays. This initiative has delivered over 200 recognised qualifications and accumulated more than 2,000 cadet boating hours annually. Additionally, he has supported London Area Sea Cadets with training cadets & adults to become Rowing Instructors for Fixed & Sliding Seat. For his exceptional service, Lewis has been awarded His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate of Meritorious Service.
Lewis also volunteers with the Southeast Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) in two vital roles: as a Community First Responder (CFR) and Welfare Volunteer. As a CFR, he attends 999 and 111 calls, providing life-saving support during critical moments, often arriving before ambulance crews. In his welfare capacity, he supports frontline paramedics at Kent hospitals by offering refreshments and a compassionate ear during their brief rest periods between emergency calls. His service has been formally recognised with a CEO Letter of Commendation, and he was personally thanked by the family of a teenage boy whom he supported during his first seizure, a moment that reflects the life-changing impact of his voluntary efforts.
Lewis is a uniformed instructor with the Sheppey Sea Cadets, where he serves as the unit’s Training Officer. Based on the Isle of Sheppey, he supports over 80 cadets aged 9 -18, overseeing the planning and delivery of all evening training sessions. Lewis also organises additional events during weekends and school holidays to enrich the cadet experience. These include opportunities to gain nationally recognised qualifications such as BTEC Level 1 & 2, ILM Level 3, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and RYA boating certifications.
