College partners with Warwick charity to create bursary for students

A new bursary scheme will support disadvantaged students from Warwick to access further and higher education courses at a college group.

WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) has partnered with Warwick charity Oken Eyffler to deliver the Oken Eyffler Bursary for next three years.

The scheme will start in September 2020 and is available for students aged over 18 who live in the CV34 postcode

The Oken Eyffler Bursary will support up to 30 eligible students in the first year and be expanded to support 50 students in the second year.

It aims to create more career opportunities for students who, without the benefit of the bursary, would be unable to access further and higher education at the college.

The Charity of Thomas Oken and Nicholas Eyffler was formed following the generosity of the two named benefactors and businessmen who lived in Tudor times.

They left their wealth to the town of Warwick to be used to help those in need - a task the charity is still fulfilling to this day.

Anita White, trustee of the charity, said: “We are sure both Thomas Oken, a mercer and Master of the Guild in Tudor times, and Nicholas Eyffler, a wealthy glazier in the same era, would much approve of their legacy being used to enable inhabitants of Warwick to forge new careers, particularly in such uncertain times.

“The bursary will be open to all people over the age of 18. It is particularly important in the wake of the current crisis that we can help people to retrain, for instance, parents returning to work once their children start school.”

The Oken Eyffler Bursary will be initially available to those studying health, care and social care courses – before being opened up to all education subjects in September 2021.

The grant is designed to assist students in areas such as travel, accommodation, books and equipment required for their course.

Students can attend any of WCG’s seven colleges.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, added: “We have partnered with Oken Eyffler charity to bring forward this new bursary scheme which we believe will be of great benefit to students in Warwick.

“It will help create a pathway for students who may otherwise have not been able to access further or higher education.

“Bursaries will be awarded to students who demonstrate strong personal disciplines, a capacity to work hard and have a passion to succeed.

“By helping students to access this level of education, we hope they will be able to give back to the community through the course of their careers.”

To find out more go to: https://wcg.ac.uk/page/1291/oken-eyffler-bursary