Exceptional students awarded scholarships

Eighty-nine deserving students who will benefit from this year's Edge Hill University Excellence Scholarships are to be acknowledged at an awards ceremony this month.

On 15^th October the exceptional recipients will be commended for their contributions to University life, either by excelling academically, raising the profile of Edge Hill in a positive way, promoting equality, motivating others, or by overcoming personal circumstances in order to achieve.

A range of scholarships worth up to £2,000 will be given out on the night in a number of categories to sports people, performers, active volunteers, creative and inspirational students who have demonstrated determination, commitment and achievement.

The University will also launch its first ever Alumni Fund Scholarship, which was made possible by the generous donations received from former students to help others. Six performing arts students will be the first to benefit from these new awards. They are:

• Georgina Caird, whose outstanding talent has seen her work with West End dancers and choreographers,
• Alison Faulconbridge Broad, who has used her performances to help open up a different world to children in South Africa,
• Emily Hudson, whose unique performances and unconventional ideas have impressed the Royal Court Theatre,
• Alan Hughes, one of the inspirational faces who set up the Barbershop Quartet Monkey Magic in 2007, and also mentors other young performers,
• Rosalia Pilsworth, an award-winning dancer despite emotional and financial hardships,
• And Kennedy Taylor, who defied doctors when she was told a career in dancing would be unlikely after being diagnosed with Perthes Disease, only to become a member of numerous dance troupes.

For the first time two budding poets will also benefit from the brand new  Rhiannon Evans Poetry Scholarship, which recognises and celebrates the work of students Joanne Ashcroft and Mark Smith who have shown promise as writers and have the potential to develop further.

It was created after a donation from Professor Rhiannon Evans, who was Pro Vice Chancellor for Students and External Affairs at the University from 1994 to 2008 and who has always had a lifelong interest in poetry.

Another new award for 2010 is the Christine Hope Memorial Prize which goes to a student who overcomes adversity during their studiesin memory of a brave woman who achieved success against the odds.

Despite chronic back problems and being left to bring up her young son, Chris Hope went back into education and after graduating she trained as an occupational therapist and then went on to run her own complimentary therapies. Sadly she fell victim to an infection and died last year. Her partner Des Hope, who works as a careers advisor at the University, helped to set up the prize in her memory.

This year the recipient is Jusine Carter, a promising student from the FdSc in Complimentary Therapies despite witnessing the tragic death of her father who had suffered severe mental health problems; her youngest son being bullied at school; and looking after her sister's three children because they had been abandoned by their mum who suffered from drink and drug addiction.

Anna Phelan, the University's Scholarships Administrator, said: "All of our scholars have such heart rendering or inspiring tales to tell and it's great that we are able to reward them financially. The quality of this year's applicants has been excellent and we have been able to choose the very best people who we feel are most deserving. We hope that this money will help them develop their enthusiasm, skills and talents during their time at Edge Hill and beyond."

For anyone who would like to make a donation to help our award-winning scholarship schemes, or contribute to the hardship fund which helps those students who are most in need, visit edgehill.ac.uk/alumni/donate.