Member Article

West End charity awards scholarships to young people

Students from Newcastle’s West End are receiving a helping hand with higher education costs thanks to a local charity.

Reviving the Heart of the West End Ltd (RHWE), based in Benwell, has awarded scholarships to three local students as part of its objective to invest in the local community and champion the value of higher education for young people in the West End.

Jordan Mair, 18, and Louise Ross, 18, both from Benwell, and Chelsea Dixon, 18, from Elswick have been awarded the scholarships, and will receive £1000 for each year of their courses.

Students were invited to submit a written application and personal statement before being invited to interview, where they made a presentation about themselves and their involvement in their local community.

Jordan Mair will be studying Acting and Performance Practice at Newcastle College, with the option to extend his course to a three-year BA Hons degree after two years.

Jordan, from Excelsior Academy at Denton Road, has been passionate about acting since his early days at secondary school, and has regularly worked with students on a range of musical and dramatic productions. He plans to continue volunteering at Excelsior Academy during the course of his studies, to help younger students with their own performances.

Jordan said: “I was overjoyed to find out I had won a scholarship from RHWE, as it will be a huge help when it comes to buying books, paying for travel, and going on theatre trips.

“I can’t wait to get started at Newcastle College and meet some new people who share my interests.”

Louise Ross, also from Excelsior Academy, shares Jordan’s passion for drama and is preparing to begin a BA course in English and Drama at Sunderland University. The budding actress performs at Newcastle’s Live Theatre and was involved in both acting and directing roles during her time at Excelsior Academy. She also plans to continue to volunteer there, taking the role of assistant director for upcoming plays.

Louise said: “I was nervous about the interview process but everyone at RHWE quickly put me at ease, and I was over the moon to win one of the scholarships. I can’t wait to learn new skills at university which I hope will help with my future career. The scholarship money will help towards buying a new laptop, which will be essential for my course.”

Chelsea Dixon will be studying a part-time Business and Management course at Gateshead College, validated by Teesside University.

Chelsea left Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Fenham at 16 and trained as a recruitment apprentice before becoming a receptionist at West End Women and Girls Centre on Westgate Road last year. Chelsea enjoyed the role so much that she decided to take a professional business qualification which would help her to fulfil her ambition of climbing the career ladder at the centre.

This part-time course at Gateshead College allows Chelsea to continue to work full-time in her position.

Chelsea said: “As a part-time student, I don’t receive the same financial assistance as full-time students, so this scholarship will help enormously towards my travel costs and resources, and I’m very grateful to have been awarded it. Without RHWE, it would have been much harder to manage my college costs.

“I can’t wait to get started as the course will be a great learning experience for me, and will help to progress my career at West End Women and Girls Centre.”

Chair and trustee at RHWE, Peter Snowdon, said: “We piloted this scholarship scheme last year and it proved to be such a success that we decided to run it on an annual basis, to develop a cohort of student ambassadors for the West End.

“We’re delighted to award the scholarships to these hardworking students, who impressed us with their work ethic and their dedication to the local community. It’s wonderful to be able to support them as they begin their time in higher education and we look forward to hearing about their experiences.”

RHWE was set up nine years ago to support enterprise, education and training opportunities for the wider community in the West End.

The trust’s first property, John Buddle Work Village, has provided more than 40 start-up businesses with quality, well serviced office and workshop accommodation. A second property, Buddle House, shares the same site and is designed for businesses that need larger office space with a flexible letting.

To enquire about the work of RHWE or if you are looking for space to start or grow your business, please call 0191 226 7300, or email info@rhwe.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Uniquethinking PR team .