Kirkwood Bequest

The late Mrs Jeannie Kirkwood left a substantial bequest to Stromness Academy, stipulating that it should be used to promoted agricultural and veterinary study for pupils attending Stromness Academy. This bequest is administered by Education, Leisure and Housing and awards made to eligible students who meet the guidelines set out by Mrs Kirkwood and Orkney Islands Council.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding applicants must:

• Be attending Stromness Academy when they initially apply. Applications cannot be accepted after a pupil has left school.
• Plan to study an approved full-time course in the agricultural or veterinary fields.

‘Agricultural’ is defined as “the science and art of cultivating the soil; including the allied pursuits of gathering in the crops and rearing livestock”.

‘Veterinary’ is defined as “pertaining to, connected or concerned with, the medical or surgical treatment of cattle and domestic animals”.

Award

Funding from the Kirkwood Bequest is not means-tested. Successful applicants are eligible for an annual bursary for the duration of the approved course as long as they have submitted all necessary forms and appropriate evidence by the deadline dates.

The maximum annual award currently available is £1,000 per applicant, paid in three instalments in October, December and February. Payments are dependent on satisfactory conduct, progress and attendance during the course. Payments may be suspended where this is unsatisfactory or cancelled if the student withdraws from the course.

Funding can only be awarded for the course which was initially approved and cannot be extended for ‘add on’ years if the student decides to progress beyond this.

Approved students are permitted a maximum of one gap year during their course of study but will not receive any funding during that year.

How to Apply

There are two parts to the Kirkwood Bequest application process:

• Part 1 – Form G5a, which must be completed prior to 5 March and the applicant leaving school.
• Part 2 – Form G5b, which must be completed prior to 5 October, once the applicant has been accepted on their chosen course.

Part 1 - Form G5a

The completed form G5a must be endorsed by the Head Teacher of Stromness Academy and submitted by 5 March, prior to the pupil leaving school. Applications submitted after this time will not be accepted.

Form G5a can be downloaded in PDF format from the ‘Related Downloads’ section of this page or alternatively can be collected from Stromness Academy.

Part 2 – Form G5b

Once the applicant has received confirmation of their acceptance on the approved course, a copy of this should be submitted to the Education Grants team along with a completed Form G5b before 5 October.

Successful applicants will be issued with Form G5b. A copy can also be downloaded from the ‘Related Downloads’ section of this page.

Form G5b must be submitted for each year of the approved course of study. This must be accompanied by evidence that the applicant successfully completed their previous year of study and will be continuing their studies in the following academic year.

Further Information

For further information, please contact the Education Grants Team at:

Education, Leisure and Housing, Council Offices, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY.

Telephone: 01856873535 extension 2416.

Email: Education Grants.