Students awarded £120,000 in scholarships

Posted 17 February 2011

Students at Harper Adams University College were awarded £120,000 in scholarships, at a special event this week.

The ceremony, held at the Shropshire campus, was overseen by the Harper Adams Development Trust, which was established to help find alternative funding sources to Government grants.

Sponsors from across the country were on hand at the event to present the 70 awards to their chosen students.

The value of the scholarships varies – from monetary gifts to placement and graduate jobs, all in the name of helping the students with their studies.

Dr David Llewellyn, Principal of Harper Adams, opened the proceedings in the Queen Mother Hall on Wednesday, and said: “We are delighted to welcome the recipients and the sponsors of these awards.

“It is a tremendous reflection on the sponsors that they have been prepared to get behind our students and really support them in a practical way.

“It is also great that a large number of students put themselves forward for these awards, often in competition with others.”

Anthony Burgess, Development Trust Chairman, said: “Today, 70 scholarships worth £120,000 are being given out compared to 2006, when we first started, when we awarded 21 scholarships and £17,000 thanks to our donors.

“It’s called the Development Trust presentation, but the Trust is just the facilitator. Thank you to all the sponsors and the academics who give their time freely and work incredibly hard.”

Mr Burgess asked the scholars to write a letter of thanks to their sponsors over the next year.

He said: “I had one this morning from my scholar- Jamie Venables and it made me feel good that the money we have donated is going to a useful cause-to an individual who is trying to make something of it.

He also thanked Renee Gallina-Morris, Development Trust Officer at Harper Adams for all her hard work in bringing the event to life.