Scotland’s leading property management and care organisation, has given bursaries to 80 people in its communities across Scotland to allow them to study at college and university.
The bursaries, which are worth up to £1500 for full-time students and £750 for part-time studies, cover HNC, HND, Undergraduate Degrees and Postgraduate courses.
Since 2017, Wheatley has made 230 awards to help people go on to study at college and university through their charitable trust, the Wheatley Foundation.
This year, the Foundation made an extra 30 awards, bringing the total of people helped up to 80, and thanks to the support, recipients are going on to train in professions as diverse as physiotherapy, teaching, care work and physiotherapy.
The bursaries, supported by the Wheatley Foundation, are available to people living in homes owned by one of Wheatley’s social landlords:
GHA, DGHP, Dunedin Canmore, Cube, West Lothian Housing Partnership, Loretto Housing and Barony – and people who live in a home factored by YourPlace Property Management or renting with Lowther Homes.
Wheatley Foundation Chair, Sir Harry Burns said: “I am delighted that hundreds of people have already been helped to reach college and university through this ground-breaking programme, and I look forward to hearing what this year’s recipients go on to achieve”.
Kaitlyn Burns, a GHA tenant from Auldhouse in Glasgow, received a bursary to study for an HND in Nursing Practice and has her sights set on going on to study nursing at university.
The 24-year- old had always wanted to be a children’s nurse, but put her dream on hold while she brought up her three children, Laylah, 6, Karla, 4, and Kieran, 2.
The money will help her pay for childcare for her two youngest children and for transport to and from her studies at Glasgow Clyde College.
She said doing the course – and the financial support from Wheatley – had made a huge difference to her life and confidence.
She said: “It makes a big difference. I don’t know how I would have paid the nursery fees without it. I don’t know how I would have been able to do the course. When I became a full-time student, I stopped getting income support and I only get child tax credits for two of my children, so things were quite difficult.
She said: “I was only 18 when I had my first child, so I have really just been a mum for the past six years. I just want to go for it now and achieve things for me. Nursing children is something I have always been interested in, but it is only now I am getting the chance.
“It is great for my children to see my studying full-time. My confidence has grown and there has been a massive change in them too.
“I wouldn’t have been able to imagine myself being here a few years ago. I left school with no qualifications, but now I can make a difference.”
Erin Kennedy, a DGHP customer from Annan is pursuing her dream of becoming a primary school teacher after being unable to
The 28-year-old is off to complete her PGDE at Glasgow University’s campus in Dumfries, after completing an HND in childhood practice.
Wheatley Foundation Director, Lorraine McLaren said: “It is fantastic to see people in Wheatley communities across Scotland take a step closer to achieving their dreams.
“Education is one of the Wheatley Foundation’s Big Five – and our support has already helped hundreds of people gain qualifications, increase their skills and help them land their dream job.
“I wish every one of our latest bursary recipients every success in the next stage of their journeys.”
