There was a time when health professionals were able to receive financial support from their employers either to undertake educational advancement or to attend a conference.  Sadly, those days are all but over!  Practitioners are now expected to fund their own courses and, in many cases, to complete the study in their own time. As a Trust we are aware of the strain this can impose on clinicians, hence the provision of our Iolanthe Midwives Awards (previously called education bursaries).  Although the £1000 awarded may not fully cover all the costs of a programme, it will go some way to help fund course fees and expenses – and it does not preclude your applying for other sources as well.  Who knows, you may be lucky enough to be awarded more than one grant from various agencies – you won't know unless you try!

 

This year we funded Elsa Montgomery to undertake two training courses on qualitative interviewing. She said: I am very grateful to Iolanthe for funding these courses for me.  I strongly believe in the need for the research I am undertaking and I owe it to the participants of my research to conduct the interviews to the best of my ability.  The skills I have learnt as a result of the training will give me the best chance of doing so.   In 2007 Evelyn Davey received an award to fund a course in baby massage. She said: It's impossible to thank you all enough for the financial support that you've offered - it has helped practically and mentally to make things happen for me, and I feel optimistic about moving forward and about what I will be able to offer others.    Esther Culpin was awarded an award for her MSc in Midwifery at the University of Dundee. She wrote: I am extremely grateful for the financial support offered to me by the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust. For me to be undertaking a part-time degree in MSc Midwifery at the University of Dundee is a tremendous opportunity and comes as a complete surprise. My place on the degree course was secured by Accredited Prior Experiencial Learning (APEL). For more than twenty years I have worked as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor as a La Leche League leader and qualified and as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). During this time I have been primarily at home with my family and looking after my mother for some time when she was ill. This opportunity has allowed me to consolidate my experience.  Moreover, through attending the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust presentation ceremony in 2003 at St Thomas’ hospital, I was not only given the bursary award but also equipped with the skills and information required so that I could return to practice as a midwife. Currently I am half-way through my Return-to-Practice Midwifery Course, which I am enjoying immensely. I envisage that in the near future and with my newly acquired advanced knowledge I will be in the position to make a meaningful contribution to midwifery services within the NHS. In the current climate of midwifery-led innovations and challenges I have a strong desire to be part of the teamwork that will improve the birthing environment for mothers and babies everywhere.   Elaine Kirkham received an award to undertake the ABC Level 2 Counselling Skills course. This was her reaction to receiving the award: I cannot express how thrilled I was to receive the award that enabled me to enrol on this course. I have discovered a new passion, one that will complement and support my midwifery. The course was 35 weeks long and ... was emotionally exhausting but left me bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. I learnt a great deal and I am able to put some of this into practice in my current role on the Early Pregnancy and Fetal Assessment Unit.     Sima Hay was awarded an award to complete her MSc in Midwifery at King's College London. She wrote: I am indebted to Iolanthe Midwifery Trust for the £1000 Education Bursary.  As a self-funding student, the award was of a great financial help for the final year fees of my MSc in Midwifery. I was able to complete my dissertation by carrying out a pilot study on acceptability of chlamydia screening in pregnant teenagers. Looking back it has been a tremendous year; hard work but full of fun. The pilot study was very successful ..[and]... my study had a positive influence in raising awareness of the impact of chlamydia infection.   IT COULD BE YOU!

About the Trust   Applying for an award or bursary What's in it for me? Achieve professional goals Undertake research Attend a conference or travel What about students? Introduce a change in your practice   Who wins an Iolanthe award?   How can you help?   News and information   Home

 

© Iolanthe Midwifery Trust

Registered charity number: 287283