In the latest edition of our exclusive blogs with Sir Thomas White Loan Charity trustees, Anne Whitlock provides insight into the charity’s Scholarship Programme Grants, which provide talented students with the opportunity to study at independent schools in a bid to enable them to reach their full potential…
The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity may have been around for hundreds of years, but that doesn’t stop it moving with the times and providing new opportunities to young people across Leicestershire.
So, when Hugh Stevenson – at the time Chair of Trustees at the Charity, saw an article about an organisation that offered grants to independent schools for promising students, he had a ‘light bulb’ moment. Why couldn’t the charity give money to exceptional students within schools in Leicestershire, so that they could study in the sixth form of an independent school within the county; thus giving them the greatest chance of fulfilling their potential?
Fast-forward five years and The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has now given grants totalling £228,859 to eight pupils; all of whom, without exception, have described the opportunity as “life changing”.
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The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is pleased to announce that a total of £93,705 has been approved in interest-free loans to young people within Leicestershire and Rutland, at the end of the charity’s first quarter of 2019.
One of the oldest charities in the county, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, named after the wealthy benefactor forming part of the city’s historical Clock Tower, provides people aged over 18 and under-35 with interest-free loans to help start or develop businesses within the county, or to fund postgraduate study anywhere in the world.
Following March’s meeting of the charity’s Board of Trustees, a total of six interest-free business loans, totalling £79,380, were awarded to help fund ventures including a vegan caterer, illustrator and security provider.
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By admin
12 Mar, 2019
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Blog, Business, Education, funding, Investment, loans, Meeting, Scholarships, Support, Trustee
In the second instalment of our exclusive blogs with Sir Thomas White Loan Charity trustees, Lucy Womack provides insight into the charity’s quarterly meetings, which determine whether a borrower’s application has been successful, and the inspiration felt come the meeting’s close…
Despite it being quite common, I’m always amazed at how inspired I feel coming away from my involvement with The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity. It’s at this time that I feel so enthusiastic about working with an incredible charity that makes such a huge difference to young people in the county.
Okay, a little context needed; I understand. Last week, I spent an afternoon at one of the quarterly trustee meetings, where all 18 of us sit to discuss a host of matters involving the charity – not just our interest-free business and education loans.
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Representatives from Leicester’s The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity visited St John’s College in Oxford in recent weeks, to attend the main Sir Thomas White Charity distribution lunch; an event which sees funds distributed to individual charities under the Sir Thomas White banner.
In itself, St John’s College is a fitting venue for the event. Founded in 1855 by Sir Thomas White himself, the college was originally established as a men’s college – but has been coeducational since 1979.
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Passion, hard work and determination – three attributes that are unquestionably key to succeeding in any chosen field. However, the measure of those attributes is something that can often go unseen by anybody other than the person embarking on their individual journey.
In the case of Sir Thomas White Loan Charity education loan borrower Denisa Gannon, the level of passion, hard work and unrivalled determination required to succeed arguably exceeds that of others.
Originally from the Czech Republic, Denisa has Roma origins, with Roma an ethnic minority in her home country. Despite having been able to benefit from education not usually afforded to Roma children in the Czech Republic, employment opportunities weren’t available to a Roma single parent and led to Denisa moving to the United Kingdom in 2006.
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By admin
18 Sep, 2018
News
Applicants, Applications, Approved, Approved Loans, Borrowers, Business, Education, Finance, Investment, loans, Start-Up, Support
The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is delighted to announce that a total of £121,283 has been approved in interest-free business and education loans following the latest round of interviews with applicants.
One of Leicestershire’s oldest charities, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity provides interest-free loans to people aged between 18 and 35 within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Prospective borrowers may access up to £20,000 in order to establish or develop a business within the county (provided they live in Leicestershire and the business will also be run in the county), or £10,000 to fund postgraduate study anywhere in or out of the United Kingdom – again, provided the applicant has lived in the county for three years or more.
Of the total approved in September 2018, £81,283 will be used to establish five businesses locally, including a fitness and wellbeing studio, courier service and domiciliary care provider.
Meanwhile, a further £40,000 has been approved in the form of education loans, which will aid postgraduate study in the fields of poetry, international relations theory and finance.
Ahead of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s next round of interviews, which take place in November; applications are being welcomed and can be submitted ahead of the next application deadline, which is Monday 1 October.
For more information on business loans, please visit www.stwcharity.co.uk/business-loans or www.stwcharity.co.uk/education-loans for details on education loans.
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As soon as he graduated from the University of Warwick, Yusuf Docrat knew he wanted to continue his studies.
Completing an undergraduate degree in chemical biology, 33-year-old Yusuf, from Leicester, took on his first role within the food industry, working within a quality control laboratory. However, after circumstances saw professional development come to a halt, Yusuf took the opportunity to return to his studies – getting in touch with The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity to aid the financial implications of enrolling on a postgraduate course.
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Continued study and the subsequent qualifications obtained as a result can be crucial in achieving a career goal, which is why The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is incredibly proud to help young people across Leicestershire on their way to accomplishing those goals.
Jordan Cope is a wonderful example of somebody working within their dream job, thanks in part to the qualification he was able to obtain courtesy of one of the Charity’s interest-free education loans. These loans, which are now available to the value of £10,000, ensure that borrowers are able to gain vital funding so as to study anywhere in the world.
27-year-old Jordan, originally from Coalville but now based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, knew from an early stage of his studies that he wanted to go into teaching.
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In order to prepare for a challenging career within the legal sector, postgraduate study is a prerequisite, with any individual targeting a career as a solicitor required to complete the Legal Practice Course.
Thanks in part of an interest-free education loan from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, Jessica Bass was able to enrol on the Legal Practice Course in her pursuit of a legal career. Born and raised in South Leicestershire, Jessica studied law at the University of Leicester.
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Identifying a career direction isn’t always straightforward. For many, it takes time and life experience to realise exactly what it is you wish to do.
It’s an added benefit to continuing studies beyond undergraduate level; something that Sir Thomas White Loan Charity education loan borrower Greg Curtis can identify with.
Greg, from Oadby, knew what interested him and the kind of area he wanted to work in, but didn’t have a specific job role or specialist field in mind.
“I always had an interest in property and construction, but I did not know what direction I wanted to go in when applying for UCAS,” explains Greg. “There was such a breadth of curses on offer in a very diverse industry and it felt intimidating, as I did not want to pick the wrong career path. I wanted to explore different options and gain more experience of the industry, as well as develop a broader range of skills generally.”
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