DORSET Community Foundation has awarded more than £19,000 to 30 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them follow their career dreams.
They have all been awarded grants in the first round of this year’s DCF Bursary Scheme to assist with costs of further education. The scheme is open for applications until January 13.
Applicants are able to apply for up to £1,000 towards expenses including travel, equipment or clothing required for their course, study trips, IT equipment or meals. However other costs will be considered by the grants team.
Among the successful applicants is Bella Fryer, 19, who has received £110 towards her travel costs to Kingston Maurward College to help her follow her dream of working outside with animals. She lives at home with my mum and disabled dad who is hard of hearing, blind and has arthritis.
Bella, who has ADHD, said: “I have grown so much as a person and it’s all down to Kingston Maurward staff helping me and supporting me. This bursary will help me afford to get to college on the bus.”
A young, single mum who lives with her son and wanted to study barbering at Bournemouth and Poole College. She has been awarded £750, which included a £300 laptop to help her with her studies.
Another student from a single parent family with two siblings has been awarded £1,000 towards travel and meals at Bournemouth and Poole College, where he is studying Business Enterprise.
A student studying beauty therapy at Bournemouth and Poole College has been given a £300 laptop to assist her with her course. She lives with her mum and sister and said: “All I ever wanted to do was beauty therapy. I achieved very good GCSE grades and the teachers wanted me to do A-Levels but I am following my dream.”
We are able to make these grants available thanks to the generosity of private donors who want to support young people and help them fulfil their potential
Another Bournemouth and Poole College student with Asperger’s Syndrome has been awarded £935 for travel, meals and equipment while studying plastering. “I tried my hardest at school but struggled there for five years in all lessons with pen and paper, and really want to go to college and use my hands and learn a skill,” he said.
Dorset Community Foundation director Grant Robson said the bursaries help open up career paths for young people who might otherwise be denied the opportunity because of their family circumstances.
“It is always heartening to hear the stories of how these grants can put someone on track to make the most of their potential. We are able to make these grants available thanks to the generosity of private donors who want to support young people and help them fulfil their potential.
“The requests we get for funding are always more than we can award so are always keen to speak to individuals, companies or charitable trusts who feel they may be able to help us support more students in need in future years.”
Applicants must be aged 16 to 25 and be studying at Bournemouth & Poole College, Kingston Maurward College, Brockenhurst College, Weymouth College, Yeovil College, Wiltshire College’s Salisbury Campus or sixth form colleges at Blandford School, Bourne Academy, Sir John Colfox Academy or Beaminster School.
Applications for bursaries to be paid in November are open until October 11. Further rounds of funding will also be available. Application forms, and full details of criteria, can be found here.
