Leeds University scholarship is made possible by Halifax group

Leeds School of Arts students Theo Winder and Georgina Ebuebu have been awarded the Pleasant Pastimes Scholarship.

The scholarship has been made possible thanks to the support of the Pleasant Pastimes Group, a Halifax textile-based community craft group, and the Community Foundation for Calderdale.

The scholarship, awarded at the end of the 2019/20 academic year to two students who are now in their second year of study, sought to support students from Calderdale and the surrounding areas studying practical arts-based subjects, and to give them the opportunity to benefit from working with the Pleasant Pastimes group.

Theo Winder from Halifax, who is studying Illustration, said: “Halifax is my hometown and I have spent most of my life there, so being able to get involved with the local community will be fantastic, especially when it is to do with the arts. I am proud to come from Halifax, and to be supported by this scholarship made possible by a local Halifax group is a privilege.

“I have really enjoyed the first year of my studies, and now I can go through the rest of my university career with more confidence thanks to the scholarship.”

Georgina Ebuebu, a second year Fashion student who was a full-time support worker in the health sector but always wanted to work in fashion, said: “In the summer before I started at Leeds Beckett, I decided it was time to stop making excuses and to do what brought me joy, and studying at Leeds Beckett will help me to achieve that.

"Unfortunately, my part time job takes up a lot of the time I need to spend on my studies, and the time that I want to devote to my children. However I am determined to succeed - receiving this scholarship will make a huge difference and help me to complete my degree.”

The Community Foundation for Calderdale, which supports hundreds of charities and voluntary groups across Calderdale, helped to facilitate the partnership.

Steve Duncan DL, CEO at the Community Foundation for Calderdale, said: “Local community groups and young people in the region are central to what we do, and it is brilliant that this scholarship connects different generations and creates communities through arts and crafts, and supports these students in their studies.”